The Story with No Name, by Moxie and Vick
by moxie1
Summary: This is a collaboration on a sweet N/D story by 2 people, miles apart, who work well together...ah, the wonders of technology.
1. Default Chapter

This is our joint entry to the 2001 Frasier Fan Fiction contest.  
  
The usual disclaimers to the characters apply...  
  
Rating: G  
  
Moxie says: The man from Mexico started this story, just when I thought there were no more plots for these endearing characters. I contributed my ideas and edited for English (if we could all read Spanish, I'm sure no editing would be needed). We've been sending it back and forth from Mexico to New England, USA. Writes and rewrites. And since the spellcheck from his original is in Spanish, I had to (shudder) spell check the old fashioned way. But it's been fun, and we hope you enjoy reading it.  
  
And Vick says: A long term project finally sees the light of day; a 4 chapter voyage through the torturous world of decisions and destiny for the sake of real love. This project began about 6 or 7 months ago so, you can imagine all the hours invested. I want to remark how much I admire Moxie for her patience (this one was used on me because I have a very anxious gen...you know, family genetics) and good work, her additions and editiing made this story take the real shape we planned.  
  
The Story with No Name  
  
Chapter One  
  
Daphne  
  
By Moxie and Vick  
  
To quote the lyrics of Tim Rice, from the musical "Chess":  
  
Long ago  
In someone else's lifetime  
Someone with my name who looked a lot like me  
Came to know  
A man and made a promise  
He only had to say  
And that's where she would be  
Lately  
Although the feelings run just as deep  
The promise she made has grown impossible to keep  
And yet, I wish it wasn't so  
Will he miss me if I go?  
In a way  
It's someone else's story  
I don't see myself  
As taking part at all  
Yesterday  
A girl that I was fond of  
Finally could see  
The writing on the wall  
Sadly  
She realized she'd left him behind  
And sadder than that she knew he wouldn't even mind  
And though there's nothing left to say  
Would he listen if I stay?  
It's all very well to say, you fool, it's now or never  
I could be choosing  
No choices whatsoever.  
I could be  
In someone else's story  
In someone else's life  
And he could be in mine  
I don't see  
A reason to be lonely  
I could take my chances  
Further down the line  
And if  
That girl I knew should ask my advice  
Oh, I wouldn't hesitate, she needn't ask me twice  
Go now!  
I'd tell her that for free  
Trouble is, the girl is me  
The story is, the girl is me.  
  
Daphne knocked twice and waited for an answer. No response. Maybe Clarice had been right and he was not in his office, but she didn't want to leave. She needed to learn the reason why Niles Crane was avoiding her; why hadn't he returned her phone calls?  
  
It was three months after the wedding and, even though she wanted to maintain the friendship between them, Niles had vanished in the mist. His brother was no help, refusing to tell her anything, not to mention Mr. Crane, who wouldn't even discuss the matter. She thought she was happy with her marriage but, deep in her heart, where Niles had once resided there was now an aching hole. It was hard to explain, but the feeling was always there as she struggled to go about her daily life.  
  
She hoped she had managed to hide that feeling from the others. She kept her questions about him casual. She even managed to hide it from Donny, or so she thought. But as the days wore on, her need to find Niles grew more and more until it became an unbearable pain in her heart.  
  
She had been hurt when he hadn't shown up at her wedding. Frasier had said something about an emergency in another city. She could tell he was covering, though; his expression had betrayed him. There was some other reason, but what that was she couldn't know.  
  
She had enjoyed the wedding reception, or rather, forced herself to, playing mental games to avoid thinking about him. The bond between her and Niles was something really special for Daphne; it had grown ever stronger over the years. She had watched him gradually transform from the snobby psychiatrist to a gentle, charming and handsome friend. Once total strangers, they had become very close.  
  
Until now.  
  
Which was why she needed answers.  
  
Daphne knocked again, harder this time. Suddenly the door opened, slowly. She stepped in cautiously. The office was tidy and clean, as he always kept it.  
  
But Niles was not there.  
  
Daphne walked over to his desk. There was evidence of his having been here quite recently. The coffee was still hot, there were papers spread across the desk, along with some open books. The scent of his aftershave hung in the air.  
  
"Dr. Crane?"  
  
"Why don't you just leave him alone!?"  
  
She jumped at the response, which had come from Clarice, right behind her. The voice was chilling.  
  
Daphne spun around. Clarice was usually very kind, but her tone now stopped Daphne cold. She could only look at the assistant. She waited, hoping for some sign of apology. It never came.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Leave him alone." Clarice folded her arms. "Don't you think you've made him suffer enough these last few months?"  
  
Daphne stepped back, shocked. What was this woman talking about? Made him suffer?  
  
Clarice looked reproachful. "Don't play innocent with me," she said sternly. "Now, leave! Get the hell out of here or I'll call security."  
  
Daphne bolted from the office as the door slammed behind her. She continued down the hallway, now in a trancelike state, taking no notice of other people's scornful looks. What had caused Clarice to threaten her like that? The words she had spoken echoed in Daphne's head.  
  
Her need to find Niles intensified.  
  
It was pouring out, a torrential Friday afternoon. She was grateful she had remembered to bring her raincoat when she left her house. People were running through the streets, trying to get in from rain. It was impossible to stay dry. She saw a young couple holding hands and just walking, indifferent to the the downpour. They were soaked but didn't seem to care.  
  
Daphne came to an intersection. A black Mercedes was stopped at the light. Its driver looked out at the woman on the sidewalk. Could it be . . .? When she saw the face of a stranger she just crossed the street with her eyes down.  
  
Daphne approached the café. While she didn't wish to, she knew, due to the hour, she knew she could run into Frasier, Martin, or Roz. Café Nervosa was sort of a sanctuary for all of them. She had always enjoyed meeting Niles here; it was a nice place to share a latte and chat about anything and everything.  
  
The café was packed with people, but she spotted a free table and took it, leaving her coat on the rack.  
  
A waiter approached and she asked for a cup of cinnamon tea. Her table was by the door, a good spot to see him if he showed up. If only destiny would let them meet here now, their often shared place. If that were to happen she would just smile at him and invite him to join her, as she had so many times before. Donny had said that he had a late meeting with his partners, which would give her time to chat with her old friend. The thought of that warmed her heart.  
  
As the minutes passed, her mind dragged her deeply into the labyrinths of memory. She revisited the Snow Ball and they danced the tango again, making her smile. Then she was on his fainting couch on a hot summer night, inches from the face of this handsome man in white. She felt sparks fly between them and wondered . . . should they . . . but no, Niles was a gentleman. He would never take advantage of her vulnerability.  
  
Donny had expressed his opinion of Niles more than once. He thought Niles Crane was a wimp, a spineless puppet in women's hands, unable to risk an inch of his neck for fear of rejection. He once described Niles as a clown in Armani suits. She hated that part of Donny, now her husband . . . hated how he made fun of Niles while not knowing the man she knew.  
  
The memory of Donny's words made her angry. After all, Niles was responsible for their wedding. His advice had finally broken her fear of commitment. She wanted to thank him.  
  
God, where could he be?  
  
Perhaps . . . the Montana? It wasn't far from the café; if she just casually dropped in he wouldn't refuse to talk to her, would he? Daphne pondered this for a moment, until the voice hit her.  
  
"He won't come in here anymore," the voice said. Daphne looked up to see Kit, the waitress. Her face was unfriendly and cold, just as Clarice's had been. "And it is your fault."  
  
"What do you mean?" Daphne rose from her chair, startled. "What's my fault?"  
  
"Why don't you get the hell out of here?" Kit demanded. "You've done enough damage. Go concentrate on your new life and just leave him alone!"  
  
Daphne was baffled; what was happening?  
  
"What are you talking about?" she asked. "I don't want to harm anyone."  
  
"About time," chimed in a waiter. Daphne looked around. Everyone was staring at her.  
  
She grabbed her purse and coat and rushed out. Glancing back, she saw them serving coffee. People inside chatted away and the café was normal again.  
  
Daphne stopped on the sidewalk, incapable of believing all that had happened. All of these people were angry with her. Clarice and Kit were blaming her for something, something to do with Niles... what was it? Was she guilty of something?  
  
She was more confused than ever.  
  
Daphne began to cry as she walked to the bus stop. The idea of showing up at the Montana was not appealing anymore. Maybe some other day. No one noticed her tears, thanks to the rain. When she made it to the bus stop she collapsed on the bench, alone.  
  
What is going on?  
  
For some reason she felt guilty. The pain in her chest was now lacerating. Had something happened she didn't know about? Was it something she'd said? Done? So many question flew through her mind. She just wanted the bus to come; she needed to get home as quickly as possible.  
  
"Hello."  
  
Daphne looked up to see a young girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen, protected from the rain by a black parka. Her voice was kind and soft, and somehow... familiar. Like that of an old friend.  
  
"Oh, hello," Daphne replyed.  
  
"Bad day, huh?" the girl asked, taking a seat to her right. "People can be so rude, they never seem to understand."  
  
Daphne looked at her with curiosity; was she that transparent?  
  
"How . . . do you know about that?"  
  
"I just know," the girl said, shrugging her shoulders. "My name is Hester, but you can call me Hess if you like."  
  
Daphne smiled weakly.  
  
"Well, in that case, you can call me..."  
  
"Daph," Hester interjected. "I know. But I like Daphne better."  
  
"How did you know my name?" Daphne asked, dumbfounded. "Are you psychic or...?"  
  
Hester shook her head, smiling. The hood of her coat fell back, revealing long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Her face was cute; she had large brown eyes and a warm smile.  
  
"Are you waiting for the bus?" the girl asked.  
  
"Don't you know?" Daphne asked in amusement.  
  
Hess laughed.  
  
"And you?"  
  
"Oh, I just was taking a walk," Hess said. "Rain happens to like me a lot. I like walking in it."  
  
"Me, too." Daphne suddenly remembered the rain.  
  
"But your husband doesn't like it," Hess said.  
  
"That's true." Daphne said, thoughtfully. "Have... have we met before?"  
  
"Yes and no," Hester said, then pointed at the approaching bus. "You have to go now."  
  
"Yes, I do," Daphne stated.  
  
When the bus stopped in front of her she spotted a familiar face plastered on the side. It looked at her with a fake smile. "He's listening," the ad said.  
  
The doors of the bus opened and she turned to say goodbye to her new friend. "Nice meeting you, Hess," she said, looking toward the bench.  
  
It was empty.  
  
"Lady, are you getting in or not?" the bus driver asked impatiently.  
  
Daphne nodded and got on the bus.  
  
***  
  
Suddenly she was home, having dinner with Donny.  
  
"You're so quiet, Daph." Donny asked, his mouth full. "Are you ok?"  
  
Daphne forced a smile.  
  
"Yes, a little tired, that's all." she said. Her fork toyed with her untouched meal.  
  
"Are you... ?" he asked, hopefully. "Oh, Daph, are you...late? "  
  
She knew what he meant and smiled, sincerely this time.  
  
"No, I'm right on schedule," she said rising from her chair.  
  
Donny snapped his fingers. "Maybe we could... delay the train at the station?"  
  
Daphne shook her head. "Yes, but not tonight. I really am tired."  
  
He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, then, I suppose I'll have to wait... for today, anyway."  
  
"Yes." She walked into the living room. "For today."  
  
Donny followed her and hugged her from behind. She cringed slightly but didn't resist.  
  
"I love you," he said in low voice.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Hey," he spun her around. "That's not the answer I wanted to hear."  
  
"Donny, I told you, I'm tired."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"Yes," she said, pulling away.  
  
"Are you sure you feel ok?" Donny scratched his head.  
  
Daphne sat on a sofa. "I just had a bad day, that's all."  
  
"Oh, honey..."  
  
She decided to tell a mild lie to reassure him; he seemed truly worried.  
  
"I ran into Clarice this afternoon."  
  
Donny looked confused.  
  
"Dr. Crane's assistant." Donny nodded. "I ran into her at Café Nervosa and she acted a little cross with me.  
  
"That's odd," he whispered.  
  
"I know," Daphne said rubbing her head. "In a bad mood, guess."  
  
Donny folded his arms. "And how is Niles doing?"  
  
The question startled her; maybe he knew that she went to his office and was trying to see what she was up to.  
  
"I haven't seen him," she shot quickly. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, I have some papers for him." He walked over to the table where his briefcase was and opened it. He pulled out a large manilla envelope. "These are the files on his divorce case, I wanted to give them to him." He shook his head. "I imagine the poor loser would like to toss these in the fireplace for therapy!" He laughed but Daphne remained silent. He looked at her, puzzled. "What?"  
  
"You shouldn't say such things," Daphne said angrily. "The man has suffered a lot, and why?" She threw her arms out. "Because he has a really big heart," she rose from the sofa, "and I really wish you would not laugh at him, at least, not in my presence!" Daphne breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure.  
  
Donny's face was angry, perhaps a little jealous.  
  
"Why are you always defending him?" he said, raising his voice.  
  
"And why do you always make him out as a clown?"  
  
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Donny folded his arms. "You really care for him, don't you?"  
  
Daphne tried to control herself. She was suddenly very aware of her husband's profession.  
  
"He...he is my friend... "  
  
"And I am your husband!" he yelled, slamming the table.  
  
"This is not a matter of titles," she said looking away. "You should have respect for the people I care about, Donny. They have all helped me a lot, especially Dr. Crane!"  
  
"And how was that?"  
  
Daphne played her last card; she had to get out of this hole.  
  
"Before we got engaged I was afraid of commitment," she said. "I didn't know if I wanted to marry you." That hit Donny; he just stared at her, waiting. "I talked to him about it and he helped me get over it. I... and you... owe him my decision to marry you."  
  
"Oh, my," he rubbed his forehead, his expression now more calm. "Well, I guess I will have to thank him one of these days." He went to her and hugged her, acting guilty. "I am sorry, dear, I didn't know."  
  
"Well, I thought you should."  
  
"OK, no more jokes about my `savior'," he smiled. She returned the smile but looked away. "Now, let's go to bed, I have a very difficult day tomorrow."  
  
Twenty minutes later Daphne, curled up in bed, could not sleep. The argument she had with Donny was not the reason. She needed Niles, now more than ever. She missed him. She needed to see him, talk to him. The tension was consuming her, making it impossible to think about her new home and marriage. The void he left was filled with a strange pain.  
  
Suddenly she sat up.  
  
The envelope!  
  
Donny had said that he wanted to give the papers to Niles. That was her ticket! All she had to do was to take the envelope to the Montana. Of course! She could talk to him then, she was sure that he wouldn't refuse to have a chat with her. After all, they were friends and he seemed very happy when she was near. She had noticed that he liked to smell her hair. A lovely compliment, she thought, one more to add to the list.  
  
Tomorrow, she thought. I will see him tomorrow.  
  
***  
  
Tomorrow became today.  
  
With no memory of anything beyond that last thought, it was daylight, bright and sunny. Daphne found herself fully dressed and groomed, standing in front of the Montana.  
  
Holding the envelope.  
  
Now or never, she thought.  
  
She entered the building and got on the elevator. She immediately felt the icy stares of the other passengers. Two of them huddled to whisper.  
  
Feeling most uncomfortable, she hurried off the elevator to Niles apartment. Swallowing to calm the butterflies in her stomach, she rang the bell.  
  
After a moment the door flew open.  
  
"Dr. ... Crane!"  
  
On the other side stood Frasier.  
  
"Well, if it isn't the little troublemaker. What are you doing here?" She had seen Frasier angry before, and this rivaled the best of them.  
  
"I... I... " She couldn't talk.  
  
"Niles isn't here, Daphne. I assume it is he you have come here to see."  
  
She tried to calm herself. This was only the bellowing Dr. Crane, after all. At one time she'd been amused by it.  
  
She found her voice. "Yes, I have these... papers to give him. Donny... "  
  
Frasier snatched them out of her hand. "Thank you. I'll see that he gets them. Off you go!"  
  
The door was promptly slammed.  
  
Daphne was stunned, and now getting really scared.  
  
They were all so angry at her! Why? It all seemed to have something to do with Niles. Oh, God...  
  
Daphne ran down the hall and found the building's staircase. She raced down to the street. She was trying to get away.  
  
From herself.  
  
She was panting when she reached the street. She collapsed to the front steps, sat down, and began to sob.  
  
She felt a light touch to her shoulder.  
  
She looked up through her tears into the face of her new friend.  
  
Hess smiled sadly and handed Daphne a crisp handkerchief.  
  
"Oh, Hess, thank you," she said, wiping her eyes.  
  
"It's OK, Daph. Tough having them all mad at you, isn't it?"  
  
Daphne sniffed. "Yes, it is, it's so... how... how did you know that? And why do you keep... showing up... and when I'm upset... ?"  
  
Hess smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "It's my job."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Hess' brown eyes twinkled. "Don't worry, Daphne. They'll all forgive you."  
  
Daphne surrendered to the fact that this girl knew things that she herself did not. And could not, even with her psychic powers.  
  
"When, Hess?"  
  
"When you find him."  
  
Daphne looked down at the pavement beneath her feet. "Oh, Hess. Will I ever find him?"  
  
She raised her head.  
  
Hess was gone.  
  
Daphne then realized she was still clutching the handkerchief the child had given her. She began to fold it, intending to return it if... when she ran into her again.  
  
Then she noticed a monogram sewn onto one of the corners. She squinted to make out the initials.  
  
Her heart skipped a beat when she read them.  
  
N.C.  
  
***  
  
N.C....  
  
N.C...?  
  
Daphne now found herself in the park, with no memory of how long she had been there... suddenly, there she was, sitting on a bench. Could she be that confused? Was she that worried about all that had happened? The only thing she was sure of was that something dramatic had just occurred. Hester... and the handkerchief with his initials. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. NC could mean a lot of things. Norbert Callahan... Natalie Clayton... who knew? But she knew, somehow deep in her heart, that the handkerchief belonged to Niles Crane. Does Hester know him? Maybe she knows where he is. She could be helping the others keep her away from Niles. Maybe all that `I am your friend' thing is a lie, she thought. But, no... that couldn't be it... after all, Hess had given her the handkerchief, and... Daphne did like her. The child seemed to be very kind and sincere... and so familiar! Maybe, she thought, next time I see her I'll get some answers.  
  
Her thoughts returned to Niles. Where could he be? She laughed a bit at the irony. What a wonderfull psychic I am. Just when I need my visions most they completely desert me.  
  
There were children playing in the park. Some of them were playing football, others smaller games. But they all had something in common: they seemed very happy. They were all giggling, smiling or laughing.They surrounded Daphne, making her realize her misery. `But there's nothing to feel miserable about', she thought angrily. `I have a new life, a lovely home and a wonderful husband and ...and...damn!'  
  
In a frustrated impulse she threw the handkerchief to the ground. It landed in the mud, the initials still visible. She wanted to jump on it, to destroy it... something related to Niles was always making her miserable when all she wanted was to be happy. Niles Crane. This person she missed was making her feel so much pain. She loved her husband, but all she wanted to do was to see her friend. She needed answers... but all she got was the anger of the people she loved, the ones she had always known as kind and friendly. Now it was all changed. Because of Niles.  
  
Oh, I mustn't blame him, she thought. After all, I am the one looking for him, not the other way around. He is probably out there, just going about his life while I am here on a bench, obsessing about him. Perhaps it's for the best that I just continue on with my own life, just as he does his.  
  
Daphne reached down and slowly picked up the handkerchief. It was muddy but the initials were still clear, as if it were impossible for the mud to cover them. The sight of them caused her to emit a sob. He was such a tender man. Was friendship like this? A feeling of total pain when you miss a friend?  
  
Daphne rose quickly from the bench when a familiar figure appeared, hobbling in her direction. An also familiar dog was with him. Mr. Crane, walking Eddie. Martin... oh, was he angry with her too? She didn't want to find out. She just wanted to leave, to run away from him, but it was too late. Martin spotted her and was looking at her with a very serious expression. Daphne looked down. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt guilty.  
  
"Daphne," he said in greeting, but with no cheerful tone.  
  
"Mr. Crane," she answered, cautiously waiting.  
  
"I came to talk to you," he stated in a grave voice. "Sit down."  
  
"I . . . I have to go," she said quickly.  
  
"You're a lousy liar, you know that? C'mon, have a seat!" Martin said. It was not a suggestion.  
  
She obeyed, sheepishly.  
  
"Frasier told me you went to the Montana. Is this true? "  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I... had to deliver an envelope to Dr. Crane," she said quickly. It didn't sound convincing.  
  
He just sighed.  
  
"Frasier was very rude to you, wasn't he?"  
  
He was looking her in the eye. She just was completely puzzled; at this point she didn't know what to expect from any of them.  
  
"I guess he was in one of his moods," she said dismissively .But she knew it was nearly impossible to fool the eldest Crane.  
  
"That wasn't it," Martin stated, looking out at the kids playing football. "He is just angry for all you did in the past."  
  
That comment struck Daphne...what was he talking about?  
  
"What have I done?" she pleaded. Martin shook his head, watching the nearest kid, the one holding the ball. "Oh, Mr. Crane, why are you all angry with me?!"  
  
"You just keep away from Niles, Daphne. I tell you this not as your friend but as his father. I love him the same way I love you but do this favor for me. Just stay away and live your life. You made your decision, remember?" Martin looked at her long and hard. Daphne began to sob. "Don't cry, this is favor I am doing for you, too. Don't you remember you said you'd love your husband `til death do you part?"  
  
"Yes!! But I just want to talk to Dr. Crane ... he is my friend!"  
  
"Just that?" Martin laughed, sarcastically. "Oh, boy."  
  
That question made her leap from the bench again; what was he implying? That she was in love with Niles? Were those the words? The real words for this feeling in her chest? Could it be... love?  
  
"I am not in love with him, if that's what you're saying," she said, not convincingly to either of them.  
  
"Yeah, right," Martin rose and began to hobble away. "Think about it."  
  
Daphne watched him disappear into the crowd. The children's parents began arriving to take them home. In a blink, all of them were gone, leaving her alone. All alone in a park once full of people. A cold wind began to blow, as cold as the worst winter night, and there she was. Standing as alone as a being could be, by a bench in the park. Night was approaching at an incredible speed. Clouds covered the sky in preparation for a storm.  
  
`How can Martin walk so fast with that injured hip?', she thought as she walked to the nearest exit. Her thoughts were whirling in her head. Like the growing storm, sharp, confusing and with no control. The words Martin had spoken still shocked her when she recalled them.  
  
"Just that?" he had asked. He had seemed amused, sarcastic. Now these latest events gave Daphne a new perspective. There was a new piece to the puzzle about Niles.  
  
The park exit was closed.  
  
Daphne stared at the gate; it was locked with a chain and a huge padlock. She took it in her hands and tried to open it, but it was rock solid. Daphne looked for someone in the street, out on the other side of the gate. But the street was deserted. She saw no cars, no people. There was nobody to help her. She spun around and walked in the opposite direction where she spotted another gate. She had to walk a long way to reach it, crossing through a cluster of trees. The tall trees covered the now black sky.  
  
She heard a dog barking. It was Eddie, she knew it. She quickened her pace to try to find him; wherever Eddie was would also be Martin. He wouldn't refuse to help her out of there, she was sure. The trees surrounded her like a black blanket, covering the now faded daylight. The lamp posts were not yet lit, making it hard to see beyond a few feet. But she was able to clearly hear the dog's barking, coming from the right near the intersection.  
  
She ran quickly to catch up with them, but the barking stopped and . . . there she was. Hester, in her black parka, holding Eddie.  
  
"It looks like it's going to rain again," she said, petting the little terrier.  
  
"You... " Daphne began to be afraid of the young girl who, was smiling in the dark but whose eyes where as bright as a clear day. "Who are you!?"  
  
"Gee, like you don't remember," she said, giggling. "I am Hess, of course," and then spun around in a circle until she was facing Daphne again.  
  
"The park is empty," Daphne said, now desperate to get out. "What are you doing here?" Then a new thought occurred to her. "Are your parents with you?"  
  
Please, let me know who she is.  
  
"Not yet," she said, holding Eddie's leash as she put him down. "I told you, I like to walk in the rain."  
  
"You've told me a lot of things!" Daphne shot, just to see her reaction. Hester just smiled. Daphne pulled the handkerchief from her pocket and showed it to her to the girl. "Is this Dr. Crane's handkerchief?"  
  
Hester giggled. "It is. It will be mine one day."  
  
Hers?  
  
"He will give it to me on my birthday, when I ask for it," she stated, puzzling Daphne even more. "When everything is put right."  
  
"Who are you!!??" demanded Daphne. Eddie barked defensively. "And why do you keep showing up like this?"  
  
Hester moved closer. Daphne tried to step back but couldn't; she was frozen in place, looking at the child's bright brown eyes.  
  
"Come with me, Daph," Hester extended her hand to Daphne. "You have nothing to be afraid of."  
  
Daphne found, stunned, that she was taking Hester's hand; it was warm, and she felt comfort in her touch. The girl and Eddie pulled her along the path.  
  
"We'll get you out of here," Hester assured.  
  
Daphne couldn't resist and began to walk alongside her and the dog. The wind was blowing hard now and thunder muttered in the skies. It was not raining yet but threatened to in a matter of minutes. As they walked briskly through the empty park the girl was completely silent.  
  
"Do you know where Niles is?" Daphne asked hopefully. "You do, don't you?"  
  
"Martin loves his son," was the child's answer, said without looking at Daphne. "And he does love you too, sometimes. He thought of himself as your father, so please don't blame him . . . he is doing what he thinks is correct."  
  
"Tell me where Niles is," Daphne said. "Please."  
  
"Find him," Hester demanded, and it seemed a plea, a plea from this mysterious girl, her face now covered by the hood of her parka. "You have to!"  
  
"Where is he?" she asked once more. "I need to know!" Daphne felt angry again; she had to have the answer to all of this. It was driving her crazy! No matter what she could say about Niles, no matter what anyone's opinion was, she knew the answer lay with him: the reason for all of what was happening was in his hands, wherever he was.  
  
Hester continued walking. The gate was very close now and wide open. Cars passed in the street beyond; people walked quietly, immersed in their own thoughts. Eddie ran directly to the gate when the girl released the leash and began to bark in their direction.  
  
"You see?" Hester asked. "There was nothing to worry about."  
  
* * *  
  
Daphne looked back. The storm was ready to hit the with a fury; the trees were now blowing wildly. The park was still empty, all the lights were off, and she, Daphne Esmeralda Moon, was standing with...  
  
"Hey, sweetheart, this is the place." Donny's voice made her tremble. She was looking at an old painting on a wall, a painting of a park viewed through a tall, open gate. In the painting there was a dog barking at a young girl in black parka.  
  
"Sweetheart?"  
  
Daphne caught Donny's concerned expression when she turned around; he was looking at her with full attention. She tried to figure out where they were... oh, they were in a restaurant! A hostess seemed to be waiting for them and the place was packed.  
  
Daphne was beginning to panic.  
  
"Are you ok?" Donny asked again. "Do you want to go home?"  
  
"Er..no, no," she said nervously, shaking her head, trying to concentrate and not faint right there. She felt exhausted and weak, with no memory of how she had gotten there with Donny, or when she had gone home and changed, or... or when her sanity decided to escape.  
  
"It's ok." She attempted the best smile she could, and it worked. Donny seemed relieved. "I was just contemplating this painting."  
  
"Well," Donny clapped his hands together, his good mood returning. "Let's go eat, I'm starved!"  
  
Daphne followed him, looking around at the people in the packed restaurant. All of them were chatting, but all sent her cold glances, then returned to their own business. The hostess pointed to a table and Donny sat down. She sat across from him, her back to the door.  
  
"You look tired, honey," Donny said. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Come on, Daphne, she thought, try to calm down. Donny does not know anything and he is the only one who still acts normally with you. For now, at least, all the Cranes can go to hell.  
  
"No. Shall we?" she asked, taking the menu from the hostess.  
  
Donny nodded. "I want to apologize to you about the other night." Daphne looked at him, placing the menu on the table. Was he talking about... "I mean, Niles is a good person and I was being insensitive."  
  
No, please no!!! Why must everything be about Niles Crane!!!??  
  
"Forget about him, Donny, please?" she said. She could have been talking to herself. The hostess had poured some water; she took a sip, trying to buy time to control herself.  
  
"When I talked to him this morning, I..."  
  
"What?!" Daphne almost choked on the water. Niles was available for a call from Donny but not from her, who had spent forever looking for him? She coughed, trying not to spray the table. Donny looked puzzled.  
  
"You talked with him??!!!" Daphne managed to ask, frantically. "When?"  
  
"This morning," Donny stated casually. "You were still in bed."  
  
Unbelievable. Daphne leaned forward, her mouth agape, eyes wide open.  
  
"Where is he?" she asked, her anxiety increasing. "Where is he?!"  
  
"Hey, calm down," Donny said, pressing a hand into the air. "I gave him your best regards."  
  
"That was not my question, Donald." she said, angrily. "Where is he?"  
  
"Are you ready to order, sir?" the hostess interrupted, but Daphne was not about to let this opportunity pass.  
  
"No, we are not," she shot back. The hostess smiled at her, defiantly, and turned to find Donny looking with great interest at his menu. "Off you go!"  
  
But the hostess stayed, looking at Donny who was clearly ready to order.  
  
"I love Mexican food," he declared. Daphne just leaned back and folded her arms. Donny studied the menu. "I'd like," he said in his poor Spanish "Shiles Pobleinos. And you, honey?"  
  
"I need to use the powder room," she said.  
  
"Ok," he said, cheerfully. "I'll order for you."  
  
"Whatever," she said dryly.  
  
What kind of game was destiny playing with her? She had been looking for Niles for what seemed like forever, with no luck. Then Donny calls him and he answers the phone! Daphne was really angry now, her mind racing, trying to figure all this out. On her way to the bathroom patron after patron got in her way, as if each wanted to stop her. She found it almost impossible to make her way through. Suddenly, the crowd opened a path directly to a table. Daphne spotted a familiar suit, Armani, blonde hair . . .  
  
Niles!  
  
Daphne stopped a few feet away. His face was hidden as he was seated with his back toward her. He was alone. Her heart began to pound harder. Donny was not in sight, so she had the opportunity she'd been waiting for. After all that had happened, she was going to get the answers she needed. She especially wanted to see what Mr. Crane had been talking about. She needed to know if she loved him. Daphne made her approach, smiling, trying to act casual.  
  
"Well, look who's here," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. In the gesture was affection and incredible relief. "Dr. Crane!"  
  
"Well, hello, Daphne! This is a surprise!"  
  
His face... of course, now she knew who this was, and it wasn't Niles. The similarity struck her ironically. Had she been aware of how much Rodney Banks resembled Niles? Not really, she thought, until now. The man smiled at her but she withdrew her hand, disappointed.  
  
"Hello, Rodney," she said, politely.  
  
"Join me, please," he offered formally. She sat, exhausted again. "So, you thought I was Niles?"  
  
"Of course not," she said, trying to smile, unsuccesfully. "I know who you are."  
  
"Really?" he asked, showing that he believed the opposite. "Daphne, that is why you dated me, remember?"  
  
"That's not true!" she said.  
  
"Of course it is." Rodney sipped his wine exactly in the same way Niles would. "Look at me . . . you mistook me for him, didn't you?" She nodded. "I am not who are looking for but I certainly look a lot like him," he giggled, amused by the irony. "That's why you liked me that day in Granville's," he stated. "Why don't you just quit behaving stupidly and be honest with yourself?"  
  
This was getting out of control.  
  
"Good to see you." She rose from the chair. Rodney leaned forward and grabbed her arm. "Let go of me . . . my husband is right over there!"  
  
"And you are here looking for Niles," he teased. He hit home with that statement. Daphne tried to pull away but his grip was firm. "Daphne... Hester can't be here forever to help you. Remember that."  
  
Daphne couldn't do anything but scream, which attracted the entire restaurant's attention. Donny ran to her side, but when he finally got there Rodney was not holding onto her anymore. Daphne was breathing fast; she was scared, but also determined not to seek comfort from Donny. So she just stood there. Rodney sipped his wine.  
  
"What's going on here?"  
  
Good question...oh, nothing. I just came over here because I thought he was Niles. I wanted to find out what I feel for him... nothing, hon, just go back to our table.  
  
"I..." she didn't know what to say.  
  
"I must apologize," Rodney rose from his chair. "The lady mistook me for another person."  
  
Daphne shot him a warning glance... be careful, Rodney Banks....you don't want to tell him what is going on here, do you?  
  
"Oh, well, " Donny said. "I suppose she startled you, screaming like that."  
  
"To be honest..." Rodney began, but Daphne didn't want to continue with this, so she stepped between them.  
  
"Let's go, Donny, it is not important..."  
  
"Well, sure it is..." Donny stated. "You have been acting strange lately...I want to know what is going on. And who is this guy, anyway?" His voice proved he was not going to let it go easily.  
  
Daphne was on the verge of tears.  
  
"I am Rodney Banks," the man said, extending his right hand. Donny just looked at it for a second so Rodney withdrew it. "An old friend of your wife's."  
  
"What you have done to her?" Donny was really angry now.  
  
"Donny, please...." Daphne pleaded. "Please... Rodney, please leave us... "  
  
Rodney shook his head and sat again. He seemed very amused.  
  
"He has done nothing to her." The sound of Hester's voice made Donny look to the right. The girl ran toward them. "I - we - can explain everything."  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Donny's harsh tone didn't ease even though he was talking to a little girl.  
  
"And what business is this of yours?"  
  
Daphne was about to defend Hester; she opened her mouth to speak. At that moment Niles rushed in and proceeded toward them. A soothing relief filled Daphne's heart. After all these days, after all those people blaming her, after all that had happened, finally, he was there. But... there was something different about him. He was not smiling at her like he always did. He looked quite upset.  
  
"Hester! I told you, I changed my mind. I can't do it!" Niles cried. "Come here, we have to leave!"  
  
"No! You have to, Niles. You need to do this!" For the first time since she'd met her, Daphne heard Hester's voice tremble. "For you and for her, and... for me!"  
  
What on earth was she doing with Niles?  
  
"Niles?" Donny said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Never mind, we're leaving," Niles said, not looking at him. His eyes were fixed on Hester, who took shelter behind Daphne. "Come on, Hester!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Dr. Crane..." Daphne started; for the first time he looked at her. When their eyes met she saw... undeniable love, hope, dreams, all mixed up in his eyes. They were a direct path to his soul. But she also saw frustration, dejection and sadness. "How do you know this child?"  
  
Niles sighed and looked away.  
  
"Hester, come here at once!" he commanded, avoiding Daphne's question. "I specifically asked you not to come in here. There is nothing you can do to fix this... so come on..."  
  
"Please!" Hester cried. "I had to try... I needed to..."  
  
"I will drag you out of here if I have to," Niles warned, taking a step toward the girl. But Daphne stood firmly in his way.  
  
"What are you doing with her?" Daphne asked protectively.  
  
"Daphne, please stay out of this." Niles said.  
  
"Talk to her!" Hester cried. "Please!... you're both here now... it may be possible that..."  
  
Donny faced Niles.  
  
"What do you have to say to Daphne?" he wanted to know.  
  
"Nothing," Niles lied, unconvincingly. "Hester....this is my last warning."  
  
Niles reached for the girl but Daphne hugged Hester tight, stopping him.  
  
"You are not taking her anywhere," she said firmly.  
  
"Daphne, you don't understand..." Niles said, sadly. "This is not what I wanted for us, but..."  
  
"Please," Hester cried. "You promised that you'd do everything in your power to be with her!!" Niles sighed once more.  
  
"To be with Daphne?... Niles, I demand an explanation." Donny was shooting glances among Niles, Daphne and the little girl.  
  
Niles remained silent for a moment, his eyes now fixed on Daphne.  
  
"All right." He took a deep breath. "Daphne," he finally said. "There is no easy way to tell you  
  
this..." he threw up his hands, trying to find the right words. "I... am in terrible pain. You are the person I love most in this world. I love you deeply, there is no denying it, and believe me, I have been trying to." Daphne held her breath as a chill crept down her back... he was finally telling her... "I was devestated when you got engaged and married; I could never understand how you could have been so blind as to not see how much you mean to me... " Hester was looking at Daphne, intently, hopefully. "And now... no matter what happens... "  
  
Donny grabbed Niles by the collar, looking like he was about to hit him.  
  
"What are you saying?!!!" The fury in his voice was overwhelming. "How can you propose to a married woman?!!"  
  
"That's not what I'm doing!" he said, and Donny released his grip slightly. "I have given up... she is your wife, Donny. I lost. She has no feelings for me...." Donny released him. His eyes began to tear up. "Hester nursed the hope that we might get together, but that is impossible. She does not love me."  
  
Daphne looked down, slowly, trying to get a clear picture of all this... Hester was hoping that they would be together?... why?...and who was she anyway?... how did she even know Niles?..and finally, was Niles right when he said that she didn't love him?... was he right?... when her eyes met Hester's she saw tears...  
  
"Daphne... " Hester begged. "Tell him he is wrong!! Tell him how much you love him!! Tell him how much you wanted to see him, tell him!!" she cried, her voice breaking. "You were looking for him, why don't you want him to know?"  
  
"You were looking for Niles?" Donny let Niles go and grabbed Daphne's arm. "Why?"  
  
"Let her go!" Hester cried.  
  
Donny ignored her. "Daphne, I demand an explantion!"  
  
Daphne looked at Niles, who just stood there in defeat. There was no taking it back now; he had finally told her that he loved her. And it was finished.  
  
Daphne had never felt so torn. Of course, she had to tell him he was right. She had a new marriage and a promising future, all she had to do was tell him. She had made her decision. She was married. But . . . was it not true that she couldn't stop thinking about Niles? Wasn't it the truth that she missed him to the point of physical pain? Wasn't it true that she wanted to find him, just as the girl said?....YES, it was all true... and now she knew why. She wanted to find him because she wanted him to tell her everything he had just said. She wanted Niles to tell her how much he loved her. OK, she got what she wanted. Now what?  
  
Donny's voice dropped to a pleading whisper.  
  
"Daphne... you can't be... in love with him, can you? After all we have been through...we have a wonderful marriage... I trusted you...." he said, and he meant it. He was a tender and wonderful man who loved her. But he didn't love her like Niles did. She knew that now. No matter how much Donny loved her... it would never be the same... "Tell me it is not true, honey."  
  
"Donny... I... "  
  
The girl was sobbing when Niles took her hand and pulled her to his side.  
  
"Daphne, please don't say anything," Niles pleaded. "I just want you to be happy."  
  
"Of course she is happy!" Donny yelled. "Aren't you, Daphne?"  
  
"Yes." she said, and promptly burst into tears.  
  
"But... " Hester tried to free herself but Niles began to walk away, dragging her. Daphne took a step in their direction but Donny was in her way.  
  
"Daphne... why?! Why are you doing this??!!" Hester cried. "You know you love him!"  
  
"Quiet, Hess, please, give it up..!" Niles screamed. "You're wrong. She does not love me!"  
  
"Daphne!!!" Hester called desperately.  
  
"Hester, she does not love me!" Niles repeated, and then stopped. "Daphne... sometimes you caress a sweet dream so much and when you finally realize you can't have it it, you try to fight back, to twist fate in your own favor... Hester tried that... but I can't... you have your own dreams now... go on with them, Daphne... we will not interfere anymore."  
  
"Niles, wait! What...what will happen to Hester?" she asked frantically. There had to be a reason this was all so important to the girl. She was suddenly afraid she would never see Hess again. The tears in the child's eyes supported that feeling.  
  
"She will be fine." Niles looked away as he walked to the door, with Hester fighting to get away. "No matter where she goes, now that you made your decision, she will be eventually fine."  
  
"No...Niles!" ...he was wrong. He was wrong and Hester was right when she said they should be together... she...oh, God... they're getting away...  
  
What the hell are you waiting for?  
  
"Niles! Wait! I do love you!"  
  
Daphne tried to run to the door but it was impossible. Donny was still holding her arm.  
  
"You think I'm going to just let you go?" he asked.  
  
"Let go of me!!"  
  
He turned her to face him.  
  
"I will not let go!" he said and shook her shoulders. Daphne tried to break free but she couldn't. Donny shook her again, this time more forcefully. "You're my wife now! Remember that. Even if you love someone else. It's too late!" He shook her once more.  
  
Daphne tried to scream her voice was frozen. The room began to spin, faster and faster, and she tried to hit him. But each time she swung at him her fist passed through him as though he were a ghost. His laughter filled her ears, and she heard the girl call her from a distance. It made her fight even harder...  
  
End Part 1 


	2. The Story with No Name Chapter 2

Vick says : and the plot thickens...  
  
The Story with No Name  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Niles  
  
There's nothing better for concentration than silence, he thought. The only place where I can find tranquility is in my office. That's why I am here, looking out the window at the rain falling over the city. This city, which contains all of my heartbreak and sorrow. And I can't help but think about all the tears I have cried. It is funny how I see this rain; it's like it's falling in tribute to my own sadness. Funny, yet totally ironic to the psychiatrist in me. Why? Because I am supposed to know how to manage this situation. But all the self therapy I try does not work. I find myself wondering if my patients feel. the same way our after sessions... silly, I suppose, but scary...  
  
I haven't seen her lately, and that makes it harder when it should make it better. After all, she is there, a happily married woman of three months, and I am here... a total loser in an Armani suit, looking out the window at the rain.  
  
Niles glanced around his office. It was tidy and clean, just as he liked. Everything was in complete order. His desk was piled neatly with papers, all of them files on his patients. The thing was that he didn't remember what he was working on and, anyway, it didn't seem to matter.  
  
I must get over this! Niles thought, slamming his desk with his hand. After all, it had been her decision. She had made the decision and he'd just stood there. Watching her get engaged. He couldn't watch her her married, watch her exit his life. She is happy now. And I am falling down a deep abyss of despair. He couldn't blame her, of course, since she didn't know what he felt for her. How could he? All he would have needed was a few guts. A little courage to step bravely in front of her and say, "I love you". The three magic words, now forbidden.  
  
Daphne is somewhere out there, he thought, and does not know how I feel, and she is with Donny! That damned lawyer to whom I am eternally grateful... and to think that I almost told him how I feel about her. Would it have changed anything? Would he not have pursued her if he knew? She couldn't have fallen for Donny then. Would that confession have kept him away from my Daphne? Nobody knows, and nobody will never know. It just happened. That thought just made him feel worse, so he decided to work, or try to work, anyway. His desk seemed to beckon to him with an incredible load, expecting him to do it.  
  
Niles picked a file at random. It was that of a patient who had an extreme fear of rejection. The name was not familiar but the case was... oh, great. I could be looking at my own file, he thought sourly, and discarded it. He picked up another one, this one about a patient who was afraid of having children. That file made him wonder how long Daphne and Donny would wait to have children. The thought made his stomach turn. Children! With him!  
  
Niles discarded the file in disgust as a new thought entered his mind. What would a child of his and Daphne's have looked like? That thought filled his heart with a mixture of pain and joy. The image in his mind was clear and vivid, almost real. .he opens the door to a hospital room, with a bouquet of roses in his hands. A nurse smiles at him on her way out. He returns the gesture as she leaves. Then the object of his deepest love smiles from the bed. She is wearing a hospital gown, sitting up against the pillows. She is holding a small bundle. Niles leans closer, slowly, trying to be quiet. When he is close enough to see a joyful sigh escapes him. The baby, our baby. Our girl. He kisses Daphne's cheek.The baby is sleepy. Then he looks deeply into Daphne's eyes and knows that everything is fine now..there's nothing to worry about...and...and...  
  
And... it is all a dream.  
  
Niles fought back the tears. He didn't want to cry... not anymore. And he shouldn't have to... he had a wonderful person in his life now... Mel. She cared for him. He knew that, and he was being ungrateful for the attention she gave him. She was one of the reasons he had decided not to attend the wedding, but to lie and leave Seattle for the day. He was afraid he might storm in there and interrupt the ceremony. Niles couldn't ruin her wedding by revealing that he was in love with the bride. Mel didn't know this, of course. It was his best kept secret. However, he suspected that on some level the reason she didn't like Daphne was because she sensed how he felt about her. A suspicion he didn't want to confirm. So, he decided he had to stay away from Daphne. He didn't want to be touched by the ghost of her beautiful warm smile. He didn't want to smell her perfume... her perfume... he had smelled it in her hair so many times. He couldn't see her..but... he missed her in an  
almost intolerable way... it hurt like hell. But it was for the best. After all, there was nothing he could do now.  
  
"Clarice," he buzzed his secretary.  
  
Niles tried to rid himself of these thoughts, but the feeling was still there. He missed her. He was still in love with Daphne Moon and not with Mel Karnovsky.  
  
"Clarice?" He buzzed her again. "Are you there?"  
  
"What do you want?" The voice that came from the machine was indeed Clarice's, but her normally warm tone was different. This time it was as rough and cold.  
  
"Could you please bring me a cup of coffee?" he asked.  
  
"Why don't you get it yourself?" Clarice replied harshly. Niles shuddered, puzzled.  
  
"Clarice, is something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Of course there is!" she said and hung up. He leaned back, wondering what was wrong with her. Then Clarice kicked the door open. She was holding a cup of coffee. Well, that's better, he thought, just before he saw the look in her eyes. She was looking at him with disgust.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" he asked, pointing the chair in front of his desk.  
  
"No, I just want to ask you a question."  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Why are you such a coward?" she asked.  
  
"Excuse me?" he replied in shock.  
  
"How could you let her get away?"  
  
"I don't understand..."  
  
"Daphne, you stupid snob....I am talking about Daphne....you can suffer in silence but you can't talk to her about your feelings?" Clarice shouted.  
  
"I might ask you to mind your own business," Niles stated. "And... anyway, how you did you know about that?" He was starting to get angry. "Did my brother tell you?"  
  
"I have eyes, haven't I?" she said.  
  
"I am not discussing this with you!" Niles raised his voice. Who did she think she was, talking to him like that? And about his personal life? "Now, please leave, or... "  
  
"Or what?" Clarice said forcefully. "What are you gonna do about it?" Was this a challenge? Niles didn't know, but he did know that he was getting angry. And puzzled. How could she know about Daphne?  
  
"Are you gonna make me quit? Are you gonna fire me?" she laughed, heartily. "You haven't the guts to confront anybody." Clarice pointed at him. "Look at you... you let Daphne get away, and with your stupid divorce lawyer! Because you always chicken out! You and your fear of rejection!"  
  
That was enough.  
  
Niles leaped up from his chair and hurried out, followed by Clarice.  
  
"Yes, that's it, run away like you always do... never fight back!" she was saying when he closed the door behind him. "Coward!"  
  
The people in the hallway looked at him with disdain. Niles walked down toward the elevator... he needed to get out of there. Clarice's behavior and her knowledge of his feelings for Daphne were unsettling. Was he that transparent? He hadn't thought so; he had managed to fool everybody, including Daphne, for six years. Until Roz found out, thanks to his father's indiscreet comments. Donny didn't know either. Even the slick divorce lawyer was blind to the love Niles felt for his wife...  
  
He needed coffee.  
  
And he knew the perfect spot for that, his sanctuary. Café Nervosa. There, among strangers, he could find a little space to take another look at his life. On his way to the basement parking lot he thought about the many times he had coffee with her. All those times he had thought that she felt very comfortable with him, and why not? He was, in her own words, her best friend. He learned to settle for the little attention she gave him. Countless times he had offered her a ride home, always greeted with that beautiful smile of hers, even when her answer was `No, thanks'. So many times her scent, the soul of the person within touched him in incredible ways, filling his being, first with affection, and then love.  
  
He really hoped he wouldn't run into anyone at the Café. He was not in the mood for another lecture. That brought his mind back to Clarice's behavior... somehow, he sensed that she wanted him to tell Daphne about his feelings. "What a weird thing that would be, now." he muttered, but... his need to see Daphne was becoming stronger. It would not be difficult. All he would need to do would be to show up at his brother's at 3 o'clock, the time of his father's therapy session.  
  
No, damn it!....she does not love....SHE DOES NOT LOVE ME!  
  
He opened his car door and got into the driver's seat. No, he couldn't see her...`Mrs. Donny Douglas'! No way in hell did he want that. He knew that the only thing which would come from that would be more pain. It was for the best to discard that idea and keep a safe distance.  
  
Niles drove his Mercedes down the exit ramp. It was now pouring out, a torrential Friday afternoon. The streets were full of traffic, the usual consequence of rain. The wipers, at full speed, could barely manage the vast amount of water that poured from the sky. I hope there's a place to park, he thought.  
  
He was lucky and found a space.  
  
The café was packed with people, but he spotted a free table and took it, leaving his coat on the rack.  
  
A waiter came and he asked for a latte. As the waiter went off Niles looked toward the door. What if she shows up here? Well, I could probably make some excuse and leave quickly. That was what he decided do if she were to walk into the café.  
  
Oh, who are you trying to fool? he asked himself. If she does show up I will smile at her and thank God for his benevolence with this insignificant mortal. Then I will try to keep her here as long as possible. If that should happen, I might be able to live on for a few more days.  
  
Niles didn't want to admit it, but there was a force in his mind which made him think about her at the slightest provocation. As he waited for his latte that force dragged him deeper into thoughts of her. He tried to fight it. He tried to think about Mel but it was useless. Daphne always won the battle for his thoughts. It didn't matter that he was sure that she didn't love him, his dreams of a perfect world were not dampened by reality... it was destructive... but it was the best he could expect from Daphne... a daydream...  
  
Words crept into his mind, words from a long time ago. Spoken during a tango. "Daphne, I adore you!" "I adore you, too!" Her eyes are locked with his and he is totally shocked. "What?!" "I adore you too!" Words of `acting'. He sighed at the memory. Acting? No. He had poured his heart out to her and she'd had no idea. Then...another memory came to him... one of a hot summer night when an angel had appeared at his door, asking for sanctuary for the night...God, he had come so close!  
  
Go look for her! his heart demanded. NO! his mind shouted back.  
  
He returned from his dreams at the precise moment a waitress came with his latte.  
  
"Well, look who's here." Kit placed the cup in front of him. Niles looked up. "The little coward!"  
  
The people at the surrounding tables stopped to look at him. They shot nasty glances at him; some of them leaned in to whisper. Niles felt his anger returning.  
  
"Kit," he warned. "What is this?"  
  
"Look here!" Kit said, speaking now to the crowd in the café. "This man over here is a coward. He loved a woman deeply and tried to get over her using by anyone he could." She looked at Niles defiantly. "Including me! And he never told that Daphne Moon how he felt about her!" The people began to laugh. "He spent 6 years in silence and finally let her get away with his divorce lawyer!" The laughter increased. Niles's face was red. He looked down, getting angrier by the second. "Wow, that is so pathetic!!!"  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Niles demanded. "Why!?"  
  
"Because you're so lame!" The people were still laughing. "You always run away! Look at you, Mr. Ph. D.!! You went from me to... whats her name? ...Mel! Your ex-wife's plastic surgeon!" Niles looked around, mortified, as the people pointed at him, still laughing. "And you are still running away from your feelings because you don't want to face what she really feels for you."  
  
"Enough!" Niles rose, ready to hit someone. "You don't have any right to treat me like this!"  
  
"I was a short term fling, Niles, and I deserved better... not to be used because you couldn't have the woman you wanted!"  
  
That was true...  
  
"Kit, this is unfair!"  
  
"Get out of here, Niles Crane!" she ordered. The patrons' laughter was deafening.  
  
"Why are you talking to me like this?!" he asked. "How can you know about my life?" He was getting frantic. "Who gave you the right to probe into my life anyway?!!!"  
  
"You never set boundaries, Niles..we were free agents, remember?" she said, mockingly.  
  
"Now leave!"  
  
Niles spun around and stormed out. Only three steps out of the door he stopped and looked back. The people were chatting away normally and Kit was nowhere in sight. Everything was as it should be again.  
  
Niles was breathing fast. He was upset and confused. He walked to his car and tried to open the door. Of course it was locked, so he searched his pockets for his keys, but they were not there. The rain was coming down hard, and he really didn't want to go back to the Café to look for them.  
  
"Hello."  
  
The voice startled him and made him turn around. He saw a little girl protected from the rain by a black parka. She was twelve, thirteen perhaps, and her voice was kind and soft with a familiar accent, like that of a dear friend...  
  
"Hello." he said dryly. "What can I do for you, miss?"  
  
"Having a bad day?" the girl asked. Niles just shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"How would you know about that?" he asked. "Did you hear those people back there?"  
  
"No," she said quietly. "But I know things."  
  
"Don't tell me you are psychic!" Niles exclaimed. The memory of Daphne's declarations of psychic powers deepened his depression.  
  
"No." The girl shook her head, and her brown eyes and blonde hair tied in a pony tail were clearly visible when the hood of her parka fell back ."Please, don't be sad!" she pleaded.  
  
"I am not." he lied.  
  
"Remember your nose, it'll bleed!" she replied. "It always does when you lie, you know."  
  
Niles breathed deeply, trying to to regain composure. This girl had a point there, but... wait, how did she know that?  
  
"Have we met before?"  
  
"No." she confessed. "My name is Hester, but you can call me Hess."  
  
Another image appeared to Niles.  
  
"That is a lovely name. My... my..."  
  
"Yes, I know, that was your mother's name," Hess said softly.  
  
Niles folded his arms. "I am Dr. Crane," he said. "How can you possibly know these things?"  
  
"I just know," Hester said. "And Dr. Crane sounds so formal. Could I call you Niles?"  
  
Niles jolted back, slamming into his car. He had not told Hess his first name.  
  
"Are you with your parents?" He needed to know more about this child.  
  
"Not yet," was her answer. "I was just taking a walk in the rain, which happens to like me a lot."  
  
For the second time in less than a minute, Daphne's face came to his eyes. She liked to walk in the rain.  
  
"But I don't," Niles said, thinking out loud.  
  
Hester giggled. "I know." She showed him a key ring, his key ring. "That's why you'll need this."  
  
"Oh, thank you. It must have fallen from my pocket," he sighed, taking it from her.  
  
"Are you leaving?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, now a little more relaxed. "I guess I'll go home ..." He selected the correct key and opened the door. "Well, Hess, I..." he began, but when she turned around she was gone.  
  
Niles shrugged his shoulders and got into the car.  
  
* * *  
  
With no memory of having driven home, Niles found himself seated at the dinner table. Across from him Mel was finishing her meal, a dinner he had already finished but didn't remember eating. A glass of wine was in his right hand... champagne?...sherry?...he didn't know... an aria played softly on the CD.  
  
"Is something wrong, Niles?" Mel's voice snapped him back to reality.  
  
"I was just... listening to that incredible aria," he said, trying to gain precious seconds to remember what they had been talking about.  
  
"Yanni's `Aria'?" Mel looked at him, frowning. "I find that aria tasteless; we just discussed that."  
  
"Oh, yes, yes..." he sipped his wine...it was champagne. "My mind drifted," he admitted. "How was your dinner?"  
  
"Excellent, thank you," she smiled. Niles returned the gesture but she saw something was wrong. "Are you sick or something?"  
  
"Me?"  
  
"No, the Pope," she laughed. Niles just chuckled. "Of course, you."  
  
"I am fine." He rose from his chair. "More wine?"  
  
"Yes, please." He walked to the wine rack in the kitchen. She followed him and she hugged him.  
  
"I know what will make you feel better."  
  
"And that would be?" he said, and let her kiss him.  
  
When the kiss broke, Mel returned to the living room. He selected one of the wine bottles and placed it on the kitchen table. He stood there, thinking. The events of that day, including Hester, were spinning in his mind but lacking explanation. Oh, how he would like to turn off the psychiatrist in him at will, but that was impossible. When he had a problem he had to find the rational explanation; it was automatic.  
  
Mel called him from the living room. Niles hurried to open the bottle and walked out of the kitchen. Mel was by the fireplace, looking with interest at a certain object on the mantle. It was a wooden dragon, Roz's thank you gift. He had placed the ugly statue there with the intention of tossing it into the fire one day... by accident, of course.  
  
"What an horrible statue," she said. "So tasteless!!"  
  
"My brother's producer, Roz, gave it to me as a thank you gift for a small favour I did for her."  
  
"You didn't go on a date with her, did you?" she asked, laughing.  
  
"God forbid!" Niles said, smiling weakly.  
  
"For a moment I thought it was a gift from that therapist of your father's..." she tried to remember the name. "Dulcey?"  
  
"Daphne." The correction was automatic and quick. "Her name is Daphne."  
  
"Oh, yes," Mel said."Taking into account her background, this statue is a likely gift she would choose." She laughed, but Niles remained silent. "What's wrong?"  
  
"You are have no respect for the people I care about." He folded his arms.  
  
"You care about that servant?" Mel was shocked.  
  
"She is not a servant, Mel. And she is a very good friend... she is warm... funny....she is always there to help...she is...she is..." Niles stopped. He had been about to blurt it all out.  
  
Mel was getting angry. "You really care for her," she said dryily.  
  
"I told you, she is my friend."  
  
"And I am supposed to be more than that!"  
  
"You are, Mel," Niles said. "But..." Sigh. "She helped me a lot when I was divorcing Maris... she was always there for me when I needed somebody to talk to... and she wanted nothing in return." Another sigh. "And to hear you talk about her that way makes me very upset."  
  
Mel came to him and took one of his hands.  
  
"I am sorry," she said, hugging him. "I will keep that in mind."  
  
Niles felt her arms around him and couldn't help but feel guilty.  
  
"Something really odd happened to me today," he said, trying to change the subject.  
  
Mel broke the hug and walked to the fainting couch, sitting.  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"Clarice, my secretary, acted really strangely today, she was ..." he searched for the right words, "quite cross with me."  
  
"How peculiar." Mel sipped her wine.  
  
"Yes, that's not at all like her." He decided not to tell her about Kit. That might lead the conversation back to to Daphne.  
  
Daphne, Daphne...why is it always about Daphne? he though dejectedly. How can I ever get over her? He looked at Mel, who smiled at him tenderly, making feel even more guilty.  
  
He decided he had to try to fall in love with Mel Karnovsky.  
  
***  
  
Somebody was knocking at the door.  
  
Niles found himself in his bathroom in front of the mirror, with no memory of the previous night after that last decision. He didn't know if Mel was still there or not, all he knew was that it was morning. He was in his bathroom, dressed and groomed, and somebody was knocking, now harder, at the front door.  
  
"Isn't it a bit early for visitors?" he mumbled as he walked down the stairs. "Coming!" he shouted as the door was pounded again. "Who could this be?"  
  
It was his brother. Frasier walked in, looking at him seriously..  
  
"Frasier," Niles said in surprise; his brother just nodded. "What's going on? You almost knocked the door down."  
  
"I have to talk to you, Niles." Frasier was hanging up his coat, which meant he was planning to stay for a while.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, you must have called. I haven't checked my machine in a few days. What is this about?" Niles tried to guess what was on his brother's mind. He knew him very well and there was defintely something bothering him. Had he done something?...Niles tried to review the last few days, but they were all a blur.  
  
"It's about you," his brother said gravely.  
  
Niles rolled his eyes as he walked toward the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, Lord. What is it this time?" he asked. He didn't need a `brotherly lecture' first thing in the morning.  
  
"I was wondering what you are going to do about..." his brother began. And then he knew what would come next. Daphne again. He held up his palm to stop him his brother.  
  
"I won't tell Daphne how I feel, Frasier," he said, defeated. "I know it is a little crush. I know she is married ... I know you always tried to help me get over this, and..."  
  
Frasier slapped him. The shock silenced him at once. His cheek was burning and his eyes and mouth were open in shock.  
  
"So, take that!" His big brother had just hit him and was looking at him defiantly. Niles' confusion was total. "For the past 6 years I have stood by and watched you run away from everything... why don't you ever fight back!!!??"  
  
"You...you hit me!" Niles said. Frasier slapped him again.  
  
"Yes, I did. Come on, Niles. Show me what you're made of." Frasier loomed over him. Niles held him off with his hands. "Let out your feelings!! Fight back!!!"  
  
"Frasier, get out of here!" Niles demanded. "You have no right ...!" He spoke calmly, but his heart was sinking progressivily into dejection and confusion. What would cause Frasier to be that angry with him?  
  
"I won't, not until you quit acting like a sissy!" Frasier grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the living room. "Come on, man, don't just let things happen!!!"  
  
Niles fought back but it was useless. Frasier was strong enough to handle him easily. He found himself being thrown to the fainting couch like a marionette. He waved his arms frantically. Frasier chuckled, amused.  
  
"Stop it, Frasier!" Niles yelled, now really scared. He knew his brother but never had thought him capable of doing something like this. "Stop it right now!"  
  
"What are you going to do about it?" Frasier demanded. "Tell me, Niles!"  
  
"Is this really about Daphne?" Niles wanted to know, scrambling to his feet.  
  
"Why didn't you just do what you should have?!" Frasier asked, throwing hands out, his face still a mask of fury. "Why did you always wait for my advice?"  
  
"Because I..."  
  
"Because you wanted somebody to blame!" Frasier interrupted. "You needed to use me as an excuse for your lack of courage!!"  
  
"That's not true!!" Niles yelled, now furious. "That is not true!!"  
  
Frasier laughed, pointing at him.  
  
"All right, then." Frasier's laughter stopped. "Then why she is married to someone else?"  
  
"Because it was her decision!" Niles exclaimed. "Do you seriously think my feelings would have made a difference?! Do you really think I would risk losing her friendship for the sake of an impossible love?! Answer me, Frasier," he demanded. "Answer me!"  
  
His brother folded his arms.  
  
"Then you are saying that my advice was correct?!"  
  
"I..." That was a good question...Why did his brother's advice mean so much to him? How many chances did he waste listening to the advice of Frasier Crane? A hundred?...a thousand?...He didn't know. All he knew now was that Frasier was part of his problem with Daphne. "I have to get out of here!" he said, spinning around.  
  
"See?" Frasier sat on the fainting couch as Niles walked out. "You always run away!!!"  
  
Niles slammed the door behind him. Tears of rage were flowing down his cheek. His heart was pounding in his chest and he felt dizzy. He needed some air.  
  
He walked briskly down the hallway, escaping from the overwhelming presence of his brother. He was indeed running away, just as Frasier had said.  
  
When he finally reached the street he was exhausted, but he couldn't go back to his apartment. He wanted to lose himself in the city, to just disappear. Niles glanced at the people around him, an endless parade of strangers.  
  
He wanted to scream out his dejection and sadness, to admit to the world what a coward he was. But he didn't. He just walked to the nearest bench and collapsed. Luckily it was hidden from view by a tall tree and a fountain. It seemed a world apart.  
  
Niles looked down, trying to control himself, when something appeared before his eyes. It was . . . an ice cream cone, held by a small hand. He looked up and saw Hester.  
  
"Take this..." she said, sadly. "It helps."  
  
He didn't know what to say and just took it.  
  
"Don't feel bad..." she said. "Your brother loves you, he didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
Niles looked hard at the girl. How she could know all that she did?  
  
"How do you ...?" he began, the ice cream in his hand, but then changed the question. "How did you know I was here?"  
  
"Let's just say it's my job." Hester patted his shoulder. "Go ahead," she smiled. "Give it a try."  
  
Niles obeyed..it was...strawberry ...his favorite.  
  
"Don't worry about all of them." Hester's brown eyes were fixed on his. "They will eventually be happy for you..." She leaned in close to him, like if she wanted to tell him a secret. "If you make the right decision..."  
  
With her so close the familiar aroma startled him. It was in her hair and unmistakable... it was Daphne's favorite shampoo... cherry bark and almonds... who was this girl, anyway?  
  
"Right decision?" he asked.  
  
"You have to look for Daphne," she stated. Niles drew back.  
  
"Daphne?"  
  
"Yes." Hester smiled.  
  
"There's nothing I can do about her," he said surrending to the fact that Hester knew a lot of things about him when he knew nothing about her. "I've got to get over her."  
  
"You do love her, don't you?"  
  
"I suppose you know the answer to that," Niles said. Hester nodded. "And it seems everyone else does, too."  
  
"Look for her!" Hester said pleadingly.  
  
"I can't. She is married now." He stared at the ice cream. He wanted to know how she knew about him, and about Daphne. How much did the girl know about Daphne, anyway? He wanted to know how she was. Was she happy? Or did she miss him? Perhaps Hester knew.  
  
"Hester ...I.." But she was gone.  
  
Niles leaped up from the bench and looked around. The street was empty. There were no cars, no people around, just himself. Lord, what was happening? How could a little girl just vanish? The ice cream cone was still there, so Hester couldn't have been a figment of his imagination.  
  
He sat again on the bench, confused. He tried to find a rational explanation for the last few minutes. Then something landed in his lap.  
  
It was a scarf, a light blue one.  
  
Daphne's favorite.  
  
Get a grip, Niles.  
  
Niles sniffed the scarf. It was Daphne's, the scent was unmistakable. And it seemed to be filled with her essence. There was no mistake, no matter how many women used the same perfume.  
  
Niles, pull yourself together.  
  
Suddenly he was getting into to his car. He placed the scarf on the passenger seat and started the engine. He had no idea where to go, but he wanted to get away. Maybe he would, for a few days. His lake front cottage would be a good idea, he was sure. It was far from here and nobody would find him. The solitude might help him figure out what had been happening the last few days.  
  
A red light forced him to stop in front of the entrance to a public park. A crowd of children passed in front of his car, led by a group of parents who were chatting away. Niles studied their faces; they all seemed so happy. He followed them with his eyes as they walked into the park until an old Ford station wagon stopped at his left.  
  
The car was a wreck. It billowed smoke from the old engine. It had scratched paint and looked most uncomfortable. At the wheel was a young woman who smiled at him. He realized that it was the second kind gesture he had seen that day, the first being Hester's. No . . . Niles paid closer attention and found that she was not smiling at him. She was smiling at the person next to her.  
  
A little blonde head appeared at the windows edge. It was a baby, a boy, perhaps a year old. He crept upward until he was able to look out the window. His blue eyes landed on Niles. The baby giggled, making Niles chuckle. The woman stroked his hair.  
  
"Say hi to the man," she said to her son. "Wave to him, Stephen."  
  
Stephen waved his little hand at Niles, who returned the gesture, smiling gently. The mother made him return to his seat when the light turned green. Then Stephen and the station wagon were gone, leaving Niles still waving. A bus began honking behind his Mercedes, making him step on the gas.  
  
The image of Daphne holding a baby returned to him. This time it was late at night. She was walking down to the living room of the Montana with what was apparently their baby. She didn't want to wake Niles. He watched her sit on the fainting couch. The lights were dim and soft music came from the CD player.He was on the stairscase, watching the magic that bonds mother and child. He was looking at the love of his life as she whispered to their child....suddenly...she looked up and caught his eye.  
  
"I didn't want to wake you," she said. "But since you're up...do you want to join us?"  
  
"How can I refuse?" Niles whispered to the air. He was still gripping the steering wheel. "How can I refuse that?"  
  
"How can you refuse what?" asked a voice from the passenger seat.  
  
Niles shuddered, pressing on the brake, and looked for the source of the voice. It was Mel. Thanks to the seat belt he was not catapulted through the windshield.  
  
"What's going on, Niles?" she asked. He was breathing rapidly, looking at her in complete shock. "Niles?"  
  
"How you did you get in here?" he managed to ask. "When did you get into the car?"  
  
Mel looked exasperated.  
  
"You picked me up 20 minutes ago, don't you remember? Niles, are you feeling all right?" she asked. "Do you have fever?" She touched his forehead.  
  
"Mel, I..." He was going to pieces right there. Maybe he had a case of schizophrenia or memory loss. Maybe he was trapped in some sort of labyrinth. Or... he was simply going crazy. "You startled me," he said, trying to compose himself. After all, Mel seemed truly worried about him.  
  
"And that's why you stopped short in the middle of the street?" Passers by began to stop and look inside. "Oh, God we're attracting a crowd." Niles forced a smile and stepped on the gas. "Niles, maybe you should see a doctor."  
  
"No, It's ok," he said. "I am fine, really."  
  
Niles was a bit ashamed, thinking about another woman. A forbidden woman, but still, the one he loved. Oh, the hell with her! SHE DOES NOT LOVE ME!..can I ever rid myself of these thoughts??  
  
The car cell phone rang.  
  
Niles looked at the caller ID and his heart skipped a beat. It said `D.Douglas'. Daphne's new home. Ha! he thought, new home... he wanted to throw the phone out the window when it rang again. Mel glanced at the phone and then at Niles...maybe she wondered if he wanted to answer it.  
  
Did he want to?  
  
Niles wasn't sure... maybe it would be for the best if he just...  
  
RING!!!!...RING!!!..RING!!!  
  
Mel reached for the phone and pressed the speaker button. He hadn't had time to stop her.  
  
"Hello?" It was a male voice... "Niles?" Donny. What could he want?  
  
"Yes," he said into the mic, trying to act casual. Mel kept her eyes on him.  
  
Do not ask for her...DO NOT ASK FOR HER!! Since it is Donny on the line, that means she does not want to talk to me.  
  
Quickly.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Douglas, what can I do for you?" he asked.  
  
"Hey, tiger! Cut the formality!" Donny said with his normal good humor. "After all, we are practically family now."  
  
Niles felt dizzy.  
  
"Hey, Donny, I want to thank you for the divorce files you sent over yesterday," Mel said. Niles looked at her. Divorce files....what divorce files?.....yesterday???...what day is today anyway? "I tossed them into the fire just to feel better."  
  
"I bet you did, Mel!" Donny and Mel laughed. Niles stopped at a red light. "Listen, Niles, Daphne asked me to remind you that you promised to have dinner with us after the wedding, so I'm calling to set a date."  
  
Niles looked at the phone in dread. Was she the one who wanted to set the date? Did she want to see him?  
  
"Dinner!" Mel exclaimed. "That sounds lovely, Donny..what about Friday?"  
  
"I will check with Daphne when she wakes up....we've been..., you know...spending a lot of time in the `boudoir'. But Friday sounds good to me!"  
  
The allusion to their sex life made him clench his fists. That was one subject he really didn't want to hear about.  
  
"Of course, I have to check my agenda." Niles tried to regain his composure. "I'll call you tomorrow."  
  
"Excellent! Have a good day, you two. Don't do anything we wouldn't do!! " Donny hung up.  
  
"Donny and Daphne make a lovely couple, don't you think?"  
  
Niles could do nothing but grunt. What are you feeling now, Dr. Niles Crane?...are you trying to escape from love?....are you doing this for your own good?...maybe it is for Mel's own good. After all, she didn't deserve to be lead on, but the reality was that everything was out of control...all the events of the past few days...the little girl...Daphne...Mel...Frasier...everybody.  
  
Mel was caressing his shoulder, looking at him lovingly. What if he were to look for sanctuary in her? What if she really wanted to marry him? Maybe Mel Karnovsky was the right one for him. What if Daphne Moon was only an fantasy?...yeah, sure, a 6 year fantasy....yeah, right.  
  
How has this all started? he thought. How can I have loved her in silence, happy to be just an observer and not a participant? Why did I allow it to continue? Simple. I saw no hope of winning her. Of course, there were times when I could have sworn that she loved me, occasions when our friendship was proven to be indestructible. But there were also times when I heard awful words of rejection from her as well. The time Donny hung up the phone and said that Maris' lawyers were claiming "alienation of affection" based on the suspicion that Niles was in love with another woman, that woman being Daphne. And what did she say about that?.... "Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?" A thorn in his heart...and the worst part was that Daphne had no idea how that had hurt. She was innocent. She always has been.  
  
Innocent.  
  
What kind of innocence was that?, he thought, now irritated. Was she blind? Couldn't she see how he looked at her? Didn't she notice how much he liked to be with her? Couldn't she read between the lines? He was always there for her when she asked for help. He had waited for Daphne to find out how much he loved her. And now look where he was. In a relationship he didn't want, entered into for the sole purpose of getting over her. With another person who was innocent. He was the guilty one here.  
  
Mel was innocent because she, just like Daphne, didn't know a thing about his true feelings. Look at the behavior of the other people around him now. Mel was the only person who gave him a sincere smile instead of a slap. What would happen if she found out how much I love Daphne? How would she react if she found out that she means nothing compared to the British goddess?  
  
This was reality.  
  
Reality hurts, of course. Especially when it is of our own creation, in spite of what we want. The decisions he had made drove him from his dream. But no matter how much it hurt, he had to get out of the deep well he was in. He had to climb out or he'd drown.  
  
Forget about Daphne, his psychiatrist mind said, remember that SHE DOES NOT LOVE YOU. Remember that she is married and happy now. Remember that self destruction will solve nothing.  
  
He nodded in silence.  
  
***  
  
Niles stepped out the door of his office building. He looked up at the clouds forming over Seattle's evening sky. It was going to rain in a matter of minutes. He didn't want to go home, not yet. He didn't want to be there alone because he knew how much he would miss Daphne. That was not part of his plan for healing. He had to avoid any contact with her. He would make some excuse about the dinner. He needed to avoid any place she might be. His brother's apartment was #1 on that list. Not that he had any desire to see Frasier just now, after what his brother had done. Now he had to do everything in his power to fall in love with Mel. He was mulling this over when a familiar shape hobbled toward him.  
  
Dad!  
  
He stopped short.  
  
What if Dad was angry with him too?.  
  
The question made him take a step back. Maybe he should go back inside. Too late; Martin was hobbling in his direction.  
  
"Hello, son," he said flatly. "Take a walk with me." It was not an invitation.  
  
"Sure, Dad" Niles said with a weak smile.  
  
The two men walked down the street in silence for about two hundred yards, Niles just waiting and Martin just walking. Niles was getting more nervous. A clap of thinder broke, making him tremble. His father didn't react.  
  
"Son, I want you to know that I respect your decision," his father said and looked at him, sadly.  
  
"I know how much you loved Daphne."  
  
Niles' heart skipped a beat.  
  
"I still love her," he admitted as they passed a flower shop. "But this is not a matter of love...it is a matter of common sense."  
  
Martin sighed. Niles noticed a couple walking in front of them. They were chatting happily and laughing, and pinching each other at odd intervals. The man hugged her and she looked at him fondly.  
  
"I care about you, son," Martin said. "I really do....and I admire the effort you're making to get over her."  
  
"Thank you, Dad." Niles smiled, feeling a bit relieved.  
  
"I asked Frasier to step aside..." his father sighed, his face an inscrutable mask. "He had no right  
  
to act like he did."  
  
"Let's just not talk about it." Niles said, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
Suddenly Martin grabbed his son's arm and turned him to face him. His expression changed from sympathetic to furious. His eyes burned into his son's. Niles became frightened, trying to step back, but his father's grip was strong...and was starting to hurt him.  
  
"Dad..." he gasped.  
  
"Aren't you gonna face it?" Martin cried. "Are you gonna just let it slip away?"  
  
"What...what can I do?" he tried to regain his composure.  
  
"Fight back!" he yelled. The people around them paused to look at the two men arguing on the sidewalk. "Go over there and tell your brother that you have your own life, that your decision counts!!"  
  
"I think he knows that," he replied. His father shook him by the shoulders.  
  
"Don't let people walk all over you!!!" Martin said loudly. "Fight for the things you really want!!"  
  
"You want me to fight with my own brother?" he asked, trying unsuccesfully to escape his father's grip .  
  
"No." Martin shook his head. "I want you to quit being a sissy who just lets people take whatever they want from you."  
  
"You're not talking about Frasier anymore, are you?" he said.  
  
"I mean generally." His father finally let go. Niles rubbed his arm. "Wake up, Niles .... if you want your brother's respect... there is no other way to obtain it but to fight!" Niles looked down. He suspected what would be next. "And about Daphne," his father started, poking him in the chest. "You had all the time in the world to tell her, and you never did!! Geez, Niles....how could you let her go like that?"  
  
"She does not love me," he said quietly, the tension draining from him. "Pure and simple."  
  
People were surrounding them, some chuckling.  
  
"How can you know that?" his father gave him a shove. "You never dared to ask!"  
  
"She never..."  
  
Another shove, this one stronger. Niles stepped back, unable to do anything against his father.  
  
"She never what?!" Martin was frustrated. "You let her get away....you suffered in silence for 6 years for nothing....to wind up in a relationship you don't care a whit about..."  
  
"I do." he claimed. "I care about Mel."  
  
"You see an escape in her." Martin threw his hands up. "And that's all. You love Daphne and all you can do about it is cheat on another woman."  
  
Niles grimaced.  
  
"I am not cheating on Mel," he replied.  
  
"Yes, you are," his father said. "By not being honest with her."  
  
Niles had to get away. He turned around, intending to try to break through the newly formed crowd.  
  
"I've had enough!" he yelled. "I'll see you later, Dad, good night."  
  
The human barricade made him stop; laughing faces made him step back into the circle.  
  
"What... running away again?" Martin asked, half sarcastic.  
  
"Ok. If this is what you want...." Niles faced him. "I love Daphne, yes...I can't picture a life without her but she is gone now...how can I talk to her about my love when she is married to someone else?"  
  
Tears began to roll down his cheeks. Unable him to stop them, he just looked down, ashamed. The crowd's laughter got louder.  
  
"Look for her, son...." his father said paternally. He hobbled away into the crowd. "Fight back even if you lose...fight for the one you love.."  
  
Niles stood in place, looking down, unable to move. He wondered if the people would let him get away. They were all still there, surrounding him and laughing.  
  
"Leave him alone!" an stern voice yelled.  
  
A soft hand took his right hand. He looked up to find Hester scolding the crowd. When did she arrive?  
  
"Leave him alone!" she ordered again. The crowd fell silent. "Don't you see what you are doing to this man?!"  
  
The crowd began to disburse, slowly. Niles was surprised at how they all obeyed the child's order. In no time the two of them were alone in the street. No cars, no people, just them...and the incoming storm.  
  
"Hester..." Niles said, and she looked at him, squeezing his hand gently. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Her eyes met his... brown on blue...blue on brown...those eyes...so familiar...Daphne's. This thought made him tremble. He didn't want to let go of her hand. The soft touch made him feel secure...and...the scarf she was wearing...it was the scarf he recognized as Daphne's.  
  
Niles was astonished. Hester's eyes drifted as she pulled his arm to walk.  
  
Who was this little girl? And why did she keep showing up right after unpleasant confrontations? He needed some answers...  
  
Niles followed her through the empty streets. A strong wind was a prelude to the incoming storm.  
  
"Hester," He tried to make her stop but she just kept walking. "Hester, I need to know who you are."  
  
She smiled.  
  
"I am Hester..." she said. "Hess, remember?"  
  
There was an awkward silence as she dragged him to a nearby park. There was a Chinese Portal at the entrance. A tall group of trees lined the path. The park was dark, too dark for a little girl...  
  
"Whare are we going?" Niles wanted to stop..but found that he couldn't.  
  
"I want to show you something," was the answer.  
  
She led him down the path. There were people on the benches, but it was too dark to see who they were. Niles was afraid but also puzzled. Hester didn't seem to be afraid of anything, she just walked deeper into the park.  
  
"That's Daphne's scarf...isn't it?" Niles asked, determined to get the answer to who..or what...the child was.  
  
"It is..." She admitted. "But please don't tell her...she hates it when I take it. She might get mad." Hester giggled.  
  
Niles arched an eyebrow...and this time he was able to stop.  
  
"How can she possibly be mad at you?" Niles asked, kneeling to be at her face level. "Does she know you? Are you Donny's relative or something?" he continued.  
  
"Look at me, Niles," she said, her eyes on his again....Daphne's eyes glowing into the night.... "You know I am not Donny's relative..."  
  
Her voice...the accent...British.....Niles sat on the cold pavement. Hester was right there...within his reach...looking at him with those beautiful brown eyes...  
  
"Daphne..." she started.  
  
The name pierced his heart.  
  
"You have to go find her..."  
  
Niles voice was shaky.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked. "Why are you doing this to me?"  
  
"You don't have anything to be afraid of." Hester extended her arm to touch him but he leaned back to avoid the contact...he was not sure what was happening...."Hester is here..." she said.  
  
"Why do you keep showing up like this?" He threw up his hands "How do you know about Daphne!!?...how do you know about me??"  
  
"I know things...I told you." She took his hand and squeezed it warmly. "Please, Niles...fight back....go find her....please...I don't have much time." Her voice was a painful plea, the plea of a desperate child on a stormy night...a girl with Daphne's eyes...eyes now menaced by tears.  
  
"She is married!" he yelled. "SHE DOES NOT LOVE ME"  
  
She looked at him fondly.  
  
"Fight back," she repeated. "Please?" Niles stood up, Hester still holding his hand. "Please? For me?"  
  
Niles didn't know how to answer; no words came to his mouth.  
  
"I have to go now. They're calling me..." Hester began to step back...slowly fading into the night...and Niles was unable to stop her...  
  
"Hester!" He didn't want her to leave him there, so he began to walk in the direction of her dispparearance.  
  
At that moment the entire park was flooded with light. Niles covered his eyes to protect them from the glow..a moment after..when his eyes focused again..he found himself face to face with a mouth full of sharp teeth.  
  
He screamed and jumped back....there in front of him, a ferocious wooden dragon was looking at him, ready to attack.  
  
It was a huge statue of a Chinese dragon. The base was high but the dragon was leaned to its side, its mouth open in attack mode. It was familiar...yes..it was the same one Roz had given him, but this one... this one was much bigger.  
  
And Hester was gone again.  
  
***  
  
What are you doing?  
  
Hey, listen up, I am talking to you!!  
  
Hello? Is anybody out there?  
  
Niles covered his ears and walked directly to his office. The voice inside his head was demanding his attention but he didn't want to listen. He wanted to be alone for a while, away from everyone, including his `inner psychiatrist'. After all, he was the one who controlled his thoughts, he was the one responsible for his decisions and...  
  
Hey, you cannot hide from me...remember, you cannot be alone, you need me!  
  
..and he was the one with no explanation for all of this. He fought to regain control of himself. He wanted to think like a man and not a professional. To think with his heart. The brain can be cold and objective but the heart does not always obey what the brain commands. This was one of those times.  
  
Niles locked the door and went over to the sofa. And prepared for the battle, the battle between love and reason...  
  
Daphne..Daphne...Daphne...  
  
It's all about her...Clarice, Kit, Frasier, Dad, every one of them wanted him to be brave and to fight for her, and what had he said about it?..  
  
SHE DOES NOT LOVE ME!  
  
Thank you..yes. You've said that...over and over, and every time I almost accepted it. Hester appeared to comfort me and encourage me to find her. She wants what the others are urging me to do. But she was the only one who never argued with me. She was there to help me..but...weren't the others trying to do the same thing?  
  
Niles leaned back and the voice inside his head began again.  
  
They all tried very hard to confront you with your fear of rejection but..BUT..they do not know how she feels. She is married and happy and you've always known that she can't love you. It has been proven through the years. You have plenty of evidence of that.  
  
"But what about the times I felt she had feelings for me?" he asked out loud. From deep in his mind, an idea emerged...he wanted to know why the voice was trying to keep him away from Daphne...  
  
The answer came with no hesitation.  
  
It was your hope. You hoped for her to love you, and when she showed sympathy for you or mere friendship you hoped it was more. Friendship was the only thing she offered you.  
  
Niles nodded in silence; it was not as he wished, but he had to agree with the voice. The diagnosis was correct. After all, she was married to Donny and hadn't spoken to him in months now.  
  
But wait...  
  
Niles leaped from the couch and stood.  
  
"Your diagnosis is based on speculations..and..."  
  
No, it is not, she does not love you.  
  
"AND...what was I expecting from her?...was I expecting her to fall into my arms at the first sight of me?"  
  
You can't get close to her now, she is married...  
  
"Yes, I know," Niles said. "But...she deserves to know."  
  
What are you talking about? The voice was beginning to sound exasperated.  
  
Niles rubbed his chin thoughtfully..  
  
"I am saying that...the best way to get past unwanted emotions is to talk about them with the person involved...am I wrong?" he asked, now acting like the psychiatrist he was. This seemed to keep the voice quiet for a few seconds...Niles grinned. "Well?..." he teased.  
  
But you'll get rejected! The voice panicked.  
  
"I don't care anymore," Niles shrugged his shoulders. "I will look for her, and now." Niles pulled his cell phone out of his jacket and flipped it open.  
  
No!!  
  
The door was kicked open. Niles spun around to face whoever had done it and there stood....the voice...the person behind the voice...Dr. Niles Crane.  
  
You hard-headed idiot!   
  
In another circumstances Niles would have fainted dead away, but not this time. He wanted answers and there it was, the source of all the explanations he sought.  
  
"I should have known it was you..."  
  
You don't remember what PAIN is? Dr. Crane asked. Niles just shrugged. He remembered indeed, the lacerating pressure in his chest... sleepless nights....tears upon tears....happiness denied... You don't understand, do you?  
  
Niles flipped the phone closed and placed it on his desk, then went to his chair and sat, staring at the doctor. Dr. Crane, in his impeccible Armani suit, stood in his place, looking at him coldly, defiantly. Niles just dismissed the look.  
  
After all, he was talking to himself.  
  
"I deserve the right to fight for Daphne!" he said plainly.  
  
Don't be ridiculous!! Dr. Crane said pointing at him. You have always been smitten with her because she is...  
  
" ..a warm, tender and caring woman, a beautiful angel, biologically engineered to bring happiness to all she meets?..."  
  
Dr. Crane shook his head furiously.  
  
To you she is the most dangerous woman in the world...remember, Niles, Maris hurt you a lot; she made fun of you and then simply dumped you like an empty can! And what did you think when you met Daphne?..hmm?...tell me, go ahead...!! he demanded.  
  
"I handed her my heart..."  
  
And got what in return?   
  
"Pain" was the answer. But Niles knew what the doctor was up to; he wanted to regain control. He wanted to drag him back to objective analysis. But...this time, it wouldn't work. Thinking about what all the people had said, Frasier, Clarice, Martin... Niles came to a conclusion. They didn't want him to face Daphne. They all wanted him to face his own fears..and fight back!  
  
Dr. Crane sat on the chair across the desk and clenched his fists.  
  
Pain! he yelled. Pain and nothing else..she just went on with her life while you ...  
  
Niles looked firmly at Dr. Crane.  
  
"Why are you angry?" he asked.  
  
Dr Crane leaned back, surprised by the calm in Niles' voice.  
  
Angry?...me?  
  
"You miss her too, don't you? You fail when you try not to think about her and that's why you hide behind `She does not love you.'" Niles leaned forward and saw fear in Dr. Crane's eyes.  
  
I speak the truth! he insisted, getting up.  
  
"Do you?" Niles leaned back again and folded his arms. "Extrapolation of feelings based on situations ..."  
  
You know I am correct!!  
  
"Maybe you are...but you're also afraid, and that's why you keep telling me this crap!!" Niles hit the desk."You don't want to be hurt and that's why you try to keep me away from her!!"  
  
I am not afraid of anything! Dr Crane rose from his chair. She does not love you!!!  
  
"You love her as much as I do!" Niles finally said. "Deny it!!!"  
  
Dr Crane kept silent and walked back....it was obvious that he couldn't.  
  
All right. Dr. Crane said, Go ahead, go over there and destroy us both!! Tell her how much she means to you and prepare to be hit by a cold shoulder! Then...it'll be my time to laugh!!  
  
"Why are you doing this to us?" he asked. "Don't you deserve happiness?" Niles hoped it would work. Maybe if he could convince the doctor he could muster up the courage to talk to her.  
  
I do. Dr. Crane said. As do you. But she made her decision....it is too late now... and it is my duty to keep pain away from you...  
  
"Away from US." Niles corrected. "If I get hurt you do as well."  
  
Dr. Crane nodded.You get my point! he said. Then if you understand this ..why do you keep thinking about her?..Why do you still want to give her your heart? All you'll get is rejection and you will lose her forever...  
  
"I've lost her already!" Niles shouted. "Don't you see that? Why don't you just shut yourself off? Be an observer and let me, for once, fight my own battles. Yes, I'll lose, and then you can laugh all you want!" He paused. "I still think about her because I love her...because I have been running away from ..." he pointed at him. "I have been running away from you! You cannot simply turn my heart off!"  
  
Dr. Crane turned around to leave.  
  
OK. I understand...  
  
Niles watched Dr. Crane leave and shut the door. Then the intensity of the conversation overcame him. He collapsed in his chair, closing his eyes. After a few moments of silence, the voice came inside his head, the voice of Dr. Crane.  
  
Go to her, then...  
  
There was a soft knock on the office door. Wearily, Niles got up and went to answer it...he was completely sure that, no matter what stood on the other side, nothing could surprise him anymore.  
  
Hester was standing there, her parka glistening from the rain. She reached out her hand.  
  
"I know where she is, Niles. And she wants to see you..."  
  
***  
  
Daphne sat bolt upright in bed, panting and sweating. The room was dark, but she could see the face of the clock on her nightstand. 4:20 a.m.  
  
She looked around to get her bearings. She immediately realized that she was in her room in the Elliot Bay apartment.  
  
She felt her left hand with her right. Only her engagement ring was there. There was no wedding band.  
  
My God, what was that all about?  
  
***  
  
Niles sat at the edge of his bed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he tried to stop hyperventilating. Shakily he turned on the bedside lamp and looked at the clock. 4:33 a.m.  
  
He looked over at Mel. She was sound asleep.  
  
He put on his robe, not bothering with slippers, and went down to his balcony.  
  
Good Lord, what was that?  
  
***  
  
There would be no more sleep for either of them tonight.  
  
End Part 2 


	3. The Story with No Name Chapter 3

Vick says. We will be waiting for your coments, if you have any...  
  
The Story with No Name  
  
Chapter Three  
  
The Next Morning  
  
The chilly morning finally came. When the sun finally emerged it made the woman on the balcony sigh. The woman, who had spent more than two hours waiting for the first rays of light, had endured the brisk wind clad only in her bathrobe. She didn't mind the hour or the weather, she was there, simply, to see the day born. To wait for the warm rays of the early May sun.  
  
And it was here now, rising to make the kingdom of the Moon and the Stars go away.  
  
Her brown eyes came to life when the light of the sun illuminated her face. She didn't move but just continued standing there, looking toward the rising sun. In her mind a whirlwind of emotions was battling. It was why she was awake so early. This mix of discovery and surprise, surprise and uncertainty.  
  
And all because of her.  
  
The dream had made her bolt from her bed a few hours earlier. It was the terrifing dream which woke her, and to what? That was the cause of her new uncertainty. She thought she had her life in perfect order the night before, but now, just a few hours later, here she was. Looking at the rising sun with a whole new horizon in front of her. Her destiny had been so clear before. Not long ago every door, every event, her whole world seemed to be posted with signs which read `THIS WAY'.  
  
But it only took a girl in a dream to change everything.  
  
Well, that and a load of wet laundry.  
  
"Hester."  
  
Martin was the first of the Crane men to wake up, as always. It was an old habit, 6 a.m. no matter what. He wouldn't have seen her if it not for Eddie. The little dog barked at his master and scratched the glass door, diverting his mind from thoughts of coffee on this unusually cold morning. When he saw her out there he opened the door.  
  
"Daphne?"  
  
She startled when she heard her name. She seemed to have expected someone else to be there, from her expression when she looked at him.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Crane," she mumbled, and now the breeze made her shiver.  
  
"What are you doing out there?" he asked. "You're gonna catch a cold!" He motioned her inside. She obeyed, walking slowly and rubbing her hands together. On her face was a strange and vacant expression which didn't go unnoticed by the old policeman. "Has something happened?"  
  
She shook her head on her way to the kitchen. Martin followed, concerned, although the coffee idea was very much alive.  
  
Martin placed a hand on her shoulder to see how cold she was. She had obviously been on the balcony for a while.  
  
"Geez, you're cold as ice," he said, lighting the stove under the kettle. Daphne stood next to it, watching the fascinating flame. "What the hell were you doing outside?" he groaned.  
  
She remained in a world of her own, watching the flame dance in the stove. Martin studied her face; he knew her well and was sure something was going on. It must be something important to cause her to wake up in the middle of the night and go out to the balcony. He thought it might be something related to her wedding, something with Donny perhaps. He didn't know.  
  
But come to think of it, Daphne had been acting strangely ever since Frasier's birthday. She was often in a trance-like state, hovering from here to there. She oftened talked to herself and she seemed to be eating a lot of junk food. Frasier said it was nothing but `jitters' but... there had had been this `thing' he had noticed at Frasier's Christmas party. Something that happened during the carolling. He'd caught her looking at Mel and Niles and she had looked dejected, almost sad. What was up with that?  
  
In the days that followed everything seemed normal enough. But Martin was getting a sense of something not being quite right. Daphne seemed to be fighting something in her mind and it bugged him. He was fond of her and hated to see her troubled.  
  
"I had a dream," she said quietly, seemingly to the flame in the stove.  
  
Martin frowned and hobbled to her side.  
  
"Gee, Daph...it must have been a bad one. Want to talk about it?" he offered.  
  
"Mr. Crane, can I ask you something?" she said.  
  
He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure.".  
  
She paused a bit, framing her thoughts. Then she looked at him directly for the first time since he had found her on the balcony, half frozen, looking at the sun.  
  
"What do I mean to you?"  
  
This caught Martin off guard. He had a hard time with emotion. It reminded him of that Valentine's day dinner a few years back. Just like that time, it was obvious that she wanted a direct answer.  
  
He scratched his head for a second, not really knowing what to say..  
  
"Well...I..." he began. "You...well, er...you are a good friend, Daph. I feel close to you," he continued, not looking at her. "You're a kind, warm person I've learned to care about." This time he attempted a peek at her, and she was looking at him fondly, relieved. "Why do you ask that now?"  
  
"Do you think of me as a daughter?" she asked.  
  
"Well, yeah," he nodded. Yeah, that described it. "You might say you're the daughter I never had."  
  
"So..." she smiled. "You're not mad at me."  
  
"Mad at ya? For what?"  
  
She was slient for a moment while she poured their coffee. She handed him his cup.  
  
She sat at the table next to him. "For the way I've been hurting Dr. Crane."  
  
Martin almost choked on his coffee. He knew she couldn't mean Frasier, it had to be Niles she was talking about. What would make her say something like that?  
  
"What are you talking about, Daph?" Martin needed reinforcement.He hoped Frasier would be up soon. Then again, she might not talk about this around her boss. She must have her reasons for confiding in me, Martin thought.  
  
"Niles...it's Niles..." Daphne whispered. "I`ve hurt him badly all these years."  
  
Martin panicked for a second....Niles had... told her?.... but when? They hadn't seen him around much in the last few weeks.  
  
"How?" Martin asked.  
  
"He's in love with me." Daphne said, faintly but surely.  
  
Martin leaned toward her.  
  
"Wow. When did he tell you?"  
  
She smiled, weakly.  
  
"He didn't, not directly anyway."  
  
"I don't understand..."  
  
"Dr. Crane told me," she admitted. Martin's jaw dropped.  
  
"Frasier?!"  
  
"Yes, when I was giving him that massage on his birthday. He was quite doped up at the time. And he doesn't remember a thing about it." She chuckled. She seemed to be coming back from her night of bad dreams.  
  
Martin burst out laughing. Frasier had spent seven years trying to shut Niles' mouth only to blow it himself..gee...I will have a lot of fun with this....but, well, later.  
  
The phone began to ring in the living room but neither of them wanted to leave the conversation. Hopefully Frasier would get it in his bedroom. Would serve him right for not getting the machine fixed. After several more rings it stopped. They were free to continue.  
  
"Daphne..." Martin chose his words carefully. He wanted to stay as impartial as possible. He'd been honest when he'd said he considered her his daughter but, to be honest, he also loved his son. "Do you really see a future with Donny?" She looked indignant, so he placed both palms in the air. "Don't get me wrong, I like Donny, I really do," he said.  
  
"Oh, God. Last night I had my mind made up...." she began. "I thought Dr. Crane...Niles....couldn't be in love with me, at least not any more, if it was ever true." She paused to take a deep breath. "I've had to make a monumental effort to avoid thinking about him, though. Not to imagine a life together and how much his little attentions meant to me...all of this because I was afraid of the future in front of me...I owe my honesty to Donny and I...I cannot stand the idea of being without Niles. You cannot live without the one you love..." She sighed and finally said it out loud. "And I love Niles."  
  
"Well, that answers my next question..." Martin whispered and then smiled.  
  
Daphne walked into the living room, Martin behind her. She sat on the couch and he settled in his chair.  
  
"Last night...when I finally managed to get rid of all those thoughts...I had this dream." She gripped her cup with both hands. Martin listened attentively.  
  
"It all started like...as if I was late everywhere I went. It was like when you wake up wondering where you are...no matter were I went, there was always somebody there who said `you have made him suffer enough, don't you think?', `leave him alone', things like that. And then...I met this girl." Daphne lit up when she spoke the name. "Hester..."  
  
"Hester?"  
  
***  
  
Frasier almost hung up the phone when he heard Niles' voice on the line. It was too early on a chilly morning to be awakened. If the answering machine weren't broken he would just let it take the call. God, what does he want at this hour? Oh, dear. Niles' voice sounded strange.  
  
"Frasier, I had a dream," he said intensely. Frasier sat bolt upright on his bed and listened closely. Niles talked about how he had woken up in shock, unable to fall asleep again. So he had waited for daylight on his balcony. "It was like a... a story with no name," Niles continued. "Like a story where you're the main character but you don't remember your dialogue, so, you have to play it by ear...everyone was there, Frasier, it was so vivid. And when you attacked me..."  
  
"Wait a minute, Niles." Frasier blinked. "I attacked you?"  
  
"Yes. You told me to fight back ...Dad too....you all said that I had to fight for the people I love."  
  
"Ah.You are talking about Daphne," Frasier said, and the answer was a deep sigh; he needed not ask more. "Niles, look..."  
  
"No, Frasier..." Niles was firm. "I don't want your advice." His tone was most alarming.  
  
"I called you because I need somebody to talk to...I trust you but, this time," he paused, "this time I don't need your advice, I need your attention."  
  
Frasier was speechless. Niles never talked to him like this before. His voice was strong and confident. So Frasier dropped the brotherly role and, for the first time in years he listened, with real attention, to what his brother had to say.  
  
"In this dream, all the elements were symbolic," Niles explained, ever the psychiatrist. "There was anger, there were attacks, people laughing. They were all related to my behavior. I am often afraid of people, I feel sometimes they just laugh at me. The anger of the people I love is a clear representation of guilt but....but, there was this...girl. Hester."  
  
"Hester?"  
  
"I find no explanation for her...I didn't understand it; she was always there to help me when I was sad or dejected. She kept telling me to look for her...for Daphne..."  
  
"Hester?" Frasier repeated.  
  
"Yes...it was a girl, a child, with Daphne's eyes, her perfume, her essence. Believe me, Frasier, there was something about her that made me think of her as a person I'd known for a long time...somebody who had always been with me."  
  
"It could be the representantion of our mother."  
  
"No, no, Frasier...she was somehow related to Daphne. She kept urging me not to give up. `Look for her,' she kept saying. `Fight for her!'"  
  
Frasier had to admit this seemingly Freudian dream of his brother's fascinated him.  
  
"So you went looking for her."  
  
"No." murmured Niles. "I couldn't do it. Something was holding me back; it was a fixed idea in my mind: `She does not love me'. I know what this means; it is what I use to make me return to earth when I am dreaming of her..."  
  
"It is perfectly comprehensible," Frasier said "This idea is fed by what has really happened, especially these days, with the wedding so close."  
  
"Yes, you're right," his brother admited. "But, if you think for a moment, this `fixed idea' was not totally formed in my mind. Somebody told it to me, no matter what my feelings were, this voice always made me go back to that thought.... `she does not love me.'"  
  
"Fascinating," Frasier said. "You planted that in your mind based on what you have seen of her..."  
  
"I need to talk to her." Niles stated firmly.  
  
"Oh, Niles, do you really think you should talk to Daphne about this?" Frasier asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Niles was vulnerable and it was probably not a good idea for Daphne to know all this. After all, it all was nothing but a dream...a fascinating one, but still a dream, sprung from Niles' subconcious.  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Niles said.  
  
"Tell me more about this dream," Frasier requested.  
  
Niles shared some of the details.  
  
"At the end, I realized that no one was holding me back but me...Frasier." Niles paused. "It was always me. And that's the way it must be."  
  
"So you're saying that you can live without taking a chance with her and face the possibility of looking back in several years, to see that it was all a mistake?" Frasier was maneuvering, phone in one hand, his trousers in the other. This problem was getting deeper; it couldn't be managed by phone, so he was dressing to go to Niles' apartment. It didn't matter how early it was; he had to help his brother.  
  
"Frasier..." Niles hesitated. "We are talking about a dream."  
  
"Well, yes, but it seems that this `dream' made you think about a lot of things. I know you have Mel now but... I know how much Daphne means to you, how much you love her, and you cannot deny it." Frasier was trying to get into his pants with one hand.  
  
"No, I can't. But I've lost her. And it's all of my own doing."  
  
Frasier sighed. "Not entirely, Niles."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, yes, in the end it was you. Your ethics, that is. Deciding to wait until your divorce went through, which was when she unfortunately met Donny. But I am also to blame, always telling you to wait, holding you back. But Niles..." Frasier hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should share these thoughts.  
  
"What, Frasier?"  
  
Frasier began nervously. "Look, Niles, I don't put much stock in dreams, other than their use in helping to explore a person's subconcious, but....there may be a reason that ...this dream kept telling you to look for her." He was treading dangerous water here, he knew.  
  
"Frasier, what do you mean? Is there something....you haven't told me? Something about Daphne?"  
  
***  
  
"Daph, look before you leap into something," Martin was now seated next to Daphne. She had finished her story with no name and was sobbing on his shoulder. "You can't change your whole life because of a dream."  
  
"Oh, Mr. Crane! I wish you could throw me into your son's arms," Daphne cried.  
  
"I do too, Daph, believe me." Martin caressed her back tenderly. "If you decide to pursue this I want you to be sure about it...I don't want him to get hurt anymore. Or you, either."  
  
Daphne looked at him fondly.  
  
"You're a good man, Mr Crane," she said.  
  
He smiled.  
  
"However," he said. "If you do love him and you're sure about it..." he whispered,  
  
"Don't let him get away."  
  
"Oh, it's no use," Daphne said defeatedly. "He is with Mel now anyway, and I am supposed to be getting married..."  
  
"You owe it to yourself, and to Donny." Martin was standing over her. "You can't jump into marriage if you're not sure, especially if you love another man."  
  
"But...what about Mel?"  
  
Martin sighed.  
  
"Mel..." he said. "Look, Daphne, trust me when I tell you this...Niles loves you deeply and he is lying to all of us, and himself, when he says he loves that woman."  
  
Daphne remained silent for a moment, just like Niles had on the phone. They were both thinking about what to do, and what they wanted for their lives.  
  
"I have to talk to him!" Daphne said, leaping from the couch. "I'll go get changed."  
  
Martin sighed in relief as she ran to her bedroom, finally smiling.  
  
***  
  
Frasier's mind had a brief battle with itself. The pro-tell side won.  
  
"Niles, I've noticed...well, a change in Daphne the last few months. At first I thought I was imagining it, but then I started paying more attention. She's been moody, and that's not like her. And when anyone mentions Donny or her wedding she changes the subject. Roz even said something about that, just the other day. And...well..."  
  
Niles waited. "Frasier," he pleaded. "If there's something more, you have to tell me."  
  
"All right. Whenever you're around, she looks at you. Not casually, like before. But almost with...longing." Frasier smiled. "The way you've always looked at her."  
  
Niles paused, puzzled. Then suddenly gasped.  
  
"Oh, my God, Frasier. I just remembered something. That night on the balcony, during your Christmas party....she...she started to tell me something. Then she stopped when I asked for the gift back." He thought for a moment. "No, this is nonsense. Even the dream said she does not love me."  
  
Frasier smiled. "That dream came from your head, Niles, not hers. And it also told you to look for her."  
  
"You're right. It did." He took a deep breath. "All right! I'll fight for her, Frasier!" Niles cried. "I'll be there in a couple of hours. There's something I have to do first!" and hung up.  
  
Frasier abandoned his attempt to put on the trousers and just sat on his bed. Now he had to wait and see what destiny held for Niles. And Daphne. He wouldn't have been worried, though, if he had known about the conversation in the living room.  
  
End Part 3 


	4. The Story with No Name Chapter 4

Vick says: all storys have an ending, even those with no name.  
  
The Story With No Name  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Revelations  
  
Daphne stood in the hallway of the Montana apartment building. She shivered, pulling her coat tighter, as she remembered what had happened the last time she was here. Or rather, dreamed about being here.  
  
Or God, how would she ever begin this conversation?  
  
She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She heard soft footsteps and the sound of Niles' voice say "Coming!".  
  
The door opened and for a moment neither moved. They just stared at each other.  
  
Niles broke the silence. "Daphne. What a...pleasant surprise..."  
  
She noticed he was dressed in a suit and was also wearing his overcoat. "Oh, Dr. Crane, I'm sorry to bother you. I see you're on your way out, so I'll just..." She turned to leave.  
  
Niles stopped her. "No, no Daphne, wait. I was going out but it can wait. Please, come in."  
  
She took a step inside. "If you're sure it's no trouble..." She looked around, praying that Mel wouldn't appear on the stairway.  
  
Niles smiled, putting her more at ease. "Not at all. Here, let me take your coat." He slipped it off her and hung it on the rack, following with his own. Before he turned away he was startled by something he noticed.  
  
Under the collar of Daphne's coat was a light blue scarf.  
  
Niles blinked twice and then turned to attend to his visitor.  
  
"Daphne," he said, nervously, "You're never any trouble. I always have time for...a good friend. Please, have a seat."  
  
"Thank you." She returned the smile and sat on the couch.  
  
"Can I get you something? Tea, perhaps?"  
  
"No, thank you, I'm fine."  
  
"Oh,... all right." He sat next to her, keeping a polite distance. He was dying to know why she was here. Whatever the reason, his declaration to Frasier on the phone a while ago might have to be retracted. Unless his brother had been right...  
  
"So, Daphne..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Is there something I can help you with? Have you been having more visions, perhaps?"  
  
Daphne cleared her throat and entwined her fingers. Just then Niles suppressed a gasp.  
  
She wasn't wearing her engagement ring.  
  
She started hesitantly. "No, no, not visions this time, Dr. Crane. But something similar, you might say. You see, I...had this... dream."  
  
The hairs on Niles' neck stood up. My, God, she had one, too?  
  
"Um, dream, you say? About what?"  
  
Daphne kept fidgeting, her gaze on her lap, searching her mind for a way to talk about it. "Well, it was all very confusing, as are most dreams, I guess. I was married to Donny and trying to be happy. But I couldn't be. There was...another man I missed badly, a..." She looked up at him. "Someone who'd been...a good friend."  
  
Niles gulped. He stared at her, trying to ignore the knot in his stomach.  
  
"Anyway," she continued. "Everyone was mad at me because I'd hurt this...friend. And I couldn't figure out how I could have hurt him; what could I have done? Everywhere I went people scolded me or glared at me. And Donny just kept acting like everything was normal, which drove me crazy. But I knew I had to find this man, it...oh, it hurt so much not tobe able to see him. And... then there was this... girl who kept popping up, urging me on; she kept saying I just had to find him. She was so real, Dr, Crane. She was about... twelve, with large brown eyes and blonde hair. And she was always wearing a black raincoat."  
  
Niles stared off into space.  
  
"Parka."  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"It was a parka, a loosely fitting rain garment. With a hood".  
  
Daphne's jaw dropped. "How...how did you know that?"  
  
Niles turned and looked at her. His voice was shaky.  
  
"Daphne, was the girl's name...Hester?"  
  
Daphne turned visibly pale. Her voice was barely audible. "Yes."  
  
They just stared at each other for a moment.  
  
Daphne spoke next. "Dr. Crane," she started. "What....how...?  
  
Niles took her hand. "She was in my dream, too."  
  
"Your dream?"  
  
"I...I had a vivid dream myself last night," he said. "Also about a...close friend. She had recently been married, and she was someone...I...was in love with. But I'd never had the courage to tell her. And everyone was mad at me, too, only for being...such a wimp." He chuckled nervously. "Frasier even hit me. And the girl, Hester, kept appearing to me, too. She kept telling me...to find her and... tell her." Niles realized he was still holding Daphne's hand, and clumsily released it. They stared at each other, both looking like they were seeing ghosts.  
  
Daphne looked down at her hand, where the ring had been. She was trembling. "Dr. Crane," she said timidly. "There's something I...think you should know. I came here... from Donny's. I...I broke off my engagement."  
  
Niles breath quickened. "Well...that is a coincidence, because, um, Mel...is gone. She... stormed out a few minutes ago because I....told her I...couldn't see her anymore."  
  
Their eyes locked. Tentatively, Niles slid over next to her. His hands in his lap, he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She returned it, eyes closed.  
  
Niles pulled away slightly. Daphne opened her eyes and blinked.  
  
"Dr. Crane..."  
  
"I think you can call me Niles now." He threw both arms around her and she entwined hers around his neck. This kiss was deeper, truly passionate.  
  
When it finally broke he guided her head to his shoulder and put his arm around her. They sat there together in silence.  
  
Niles caressed her shoulder. Daphne raised her head to look at him.  
  
"Dr. ...I mean... Niles," she smiled. "I ... I have...no idea what to say next."  
  
He smiled back at her. "I do. I love you, Daphne. Like... I never thought possible."  
  
With that she grabbed him and pulled him to her in a smothering hug.  
  
And promptly burst into tears.  
  
"Oh, Niles, I...I love you, too!" She sobbed into his shoulder and he ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
"Shhh, hon, shhh, it's ok," he soothed.  
  
"Oh, God, Niles! Niles, I was so scared!!"  
  
He chuckled. "Oh, God, you were scared!? When...when I woke up from that dream I thought I was losing my mind! And... that I had... lost you." He kissed her on the head.  
  
She looked up at him, still sniffling. He drew a handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to her.  
  
She smiled. "Thank you."  
  
While drying her eyes something dawned on her. She examined the handkerchief.  
  
In the corner were the initials.  
  
N.C.  
  
Of course.  
  
Niles took her hand and guided her up from the couch. "Come on, love. Why don't we make that tea, after all? I'm guessing we'll be here for a while."  
  
She smiled. "All right."  
  
They walked arm in arm into the kitchen.  
  
Niles filled the kettle while Daphne sat down at the table. She looked at him lovingly as he placed it on the stove.  
  
Then she suddenly stared off into space. And had her last vision.  
  
She saw Hester, standing on the stairway, here in this apartment. Only the child was not wearing the black parka anymore. And her lovely young face was beaming with joy.  
  
Niles noticed Daphne's faraway look and sunk into a chair next to her, taking her hand.  
  
"Daphne... is something wrong?"  
  
She returned from the vision and smiled sweetly at him. "No. No, nothing is wrong. Not anymore," she said. She slipped her hand around his neck and drew him to her, and kissed him tenderly.  
  
The End  
  
Please send us feedback ...we'd love to know what you all think....send feedback to [1]Moxie and [2]Vick   
  
References  
  
1. mailto:Moxierick@aol.com  
2. mailto:Vickpena@yahoo.com.mx 


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